Sudan’s TMC admits military officers involved in violently dispersed sit-in

CAIRO – 16 June 2019: The Sudanese Transitional Military Council (TMC) announced that some military officers are involved in the dispersal of an anti-military sit-in, which claimed lives of more than 120 protesters since June 3 in Khartoum, Al-Arabya news reported on Sunday.

Spokesperson of the Military Investigation Committee Abdel Rahim Badr al-Din said in a televised speech that the dispersal was carried out without the ruling council commanders’ permission, saying “what has been circulated in some media outlets was taken out of context.”

Meanwhile, Military Council Spokesperson Shams al-Din Kabashi said in a press conference on Saturday that the interim council held a meeting attended by military commanders, the head of Judges, and the attorney-general to discuss the latest development of the sit-in dispersal.

On June 3, Sudanese Security Forces violently dispersed a sit-in outside the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense, killing 128 protesting civilians since then, according to the latest figures announced by the Medical Committee of Sudan on Saturday.

Two days ago, the TMS Spokesperson announced that the council has ordered to disperse the sit-in but some “faults” occurred. This announcement came immediately after the protesters ended a civilian disobedience staged following the dispersal.

Meanwhile, Sudanese Attorney-General Al-Walid Sayed Ahmed Mahmoud announced on Saturday that ousted President Omar al-Bashir will stand for trial next week, reported the Sudanese News Agency (SUNA).

The attorney general added that Bashir and his men face dozens of charges of corruption.

Former President Bashir was ousted by the military on April 11, 2019. Since then, the interim military council rules Sudan, which can last for two years until a new democratic government is elected.

Investigations with Bashir and his aides were launched on May 2, BBC reported, adding that €7.3 million were confiscated in his house.

The ousted president was accused by the U.N.’s International Criminal Court (ICC) with genocide. In March 2009, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Bashir on charges of being responsible with his Arab tribal allies for genocide against non-Arab Sudanese in Darfur, South Sudan, as well as charged with committing crimes against humanity.

According to U.N. statistics collected on the Darfur Genocide from August 2007, more than 200,000 people were killed and at least 2 million others have been displaced from their homes since fighting broke out in 2003 between government forces and their allies the Arab tribal Janjaweed militias on one side, and rebel groups on the other side.