All Sudanese Security Agencies Took Part in Crackdown on Protesters - Report
All Sudanese security agencies were involved in attacks on protesters in late 2018 and 2019 that killed dozens and should be held accountable, a rights advocacy group said in a report out Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th March, 2020) All Sudanese security agencies were involved in attacks on protesters in late 2018 and 2019 that killed dozens and should be held accountable, a rights advocacy group said in a report out Tuesday.
The 46-page report, "They descended on us like rain," by Amnesty International cites witness testimony and says police, intelligence services and paramilitary units took turns in leading assaults between December 2018 and April 2019 when President Omar Bashir was deposed by the military.
"The police and the security services arbitrarily arrested and detained at least 2,000 people. During the same period, at least 77 people were killed, and hundreds of others injured... These human rights violations were mainly committed by members of the National Intelligence Security Service (NISS)," it reads.
Beginning in April 2019, protesters held a series of sit-ins in the capital and several other cities to demand justice and a speedy transition to civilian rule. These culminated in a brutal crackdown in June on a camp outside a military headquarters in Khartoum.
"Survivors of the attack told Amnesty International that the attacks were carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the NISS, and the police, and that they had used live ammunition, teargas, whips and sticks," it said.
There are conflicting reports on the number of people killed on June 3. The chief prosecutor's office estimated the death toll to be at 87 people, while the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors reported the deaths of 127 people.
"Based on data received from various sources... Amnesty International believes that at least 100 people were killed, and over 700 people injured. Hundreds more were arrested, while many were released, and an unknown number of people remain missing, including at least 20 confirmed cases," it said.
The rights group noted the new Sudanese government's stated commitment to ensure accountability for these crimes and urged it to "seize the opportunity not only to make history but also to create a future in which human rights are respected."