The United Nations and "Freedom and Change" accuse the Sudanese authorities of killing dozens of protesters

The United Nations and "Freedom and Change" accuse the Sudanese authorities of killing dozens of protesters

The Sudanese "Declaration of Freedom and Change" forces and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, accuse the Sudanese security forces of killing dozens of protesters since the military coup on October 25, 15 of them were killed in the protests on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Sudanese "Declaration of Freedom and Change" forces accused the country's authorities of committing "violations against the demonstrators, amounting to genocide and crimes against humanity."

This came according to a statement by the "Declaration of Freedom and Change" forces, a day after the killing of 15 demonstrators in clashes with security forces, in the city of Bahri, north of the capital, Khartoum.

"The putschist forces committed a massacre in the November 17 demonstrations, by firing live bullets, killing 15 people and wounding 100," the statement said.

He explained that "the crimes and massacres committed by the coup d'état systematically amount to genocide and crimes against humanity, especially preventing ambulances from reaching the wounded and preventing the wounded from reaching hospitals."

He added that "the security forces are still besieging some neighborhoods of the city of Bahri (north of Khartoum) and arresting female revolutionaries."

He continued, "Those who are in the leadership of the coup are not entrusted with the homeland. They are the real obstacle in the way of implementing the goals of the revolution and restoring the legitimate civil government."

On Wednesday, the Sudanese Professionals Association, the leader of the protest movement, announced the killing of 15 people in a confrontation with the security forces, most of them in the city of Bahri, north of Khartoum, to demand the return of civilian rule and denounce the "military coup".

For her part, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said Thursday that at least 39 people have been killed by Sudanese security forces since the military coup on October 25.

"We condemn the killing of at least 39 people by the security forces in Sudan since the October 25 military coup," Bachelet said in a statement.

And she explained that, "among them, 15 people were shot dead yesterday, Wednesday, during the protests that erupted in Khartoum, Khartoum North and Omdurman (west)."

"Following our repeated appeals to the military and security authorities to refrain from using unnecessary and disproportionate force against protesters, it is absolutely shameful that live ammunition was used again yesterday against protesters," Bachelet added.

And it considered that "the shooting of large crowds of unarmed demonstrators amounts to serious violations of international human rights law."

And the UN High Commissioner indicated that "according to reliable medical sources, more than 100 people were injured during yesterday's protests, including 80 who were shot in the top of their bodies and heads."

There was no comment from Khartoum regarding the UN statement at the time of writing, but the Sudanese police said in a statement on Thursday that it had secured "state institutions and demonstrators during Wednesday's protests, but they were met with unjustified violence towards their personnel and vehicles," and confirmed that they "never used firearms." ".

And the police added, "We found out that there was one death of a citizen in the city of Bahri, north of Khartoum, in addition to the injury of 89 policemen and 30 citizens as a result of suffocation with tear gas."

Since last October 25, Sudan has been experiencing a severe crisis, as the army chief, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, declared a state of emergency, dissolved the Sovereignty Council and the transitional ministers and dismissed the governors, following the arrest of party leaders, ministers and officials, in exchange for continuous protests rejecting these measures as a “military coup.” .

Before the announcement of the army’s decisions, Sudan had been living, since August 2019, a 53-month transitional period that ends with holding elections in early 2024, during which power is shared by the army, civil forces and armed movements that signed a peace agreement with the government, in 2020.

In return for accusing him of carrying out a military coup, Al-Burhan says that the army is committed to completing the democratic transition process, and that it took measures on October 25 to protect the country from a "real danger," accusing political forces of "inciting chaos."