Demonstrators all over Sudan call for ‘fair retribution’

On Thursday, hundreds of thousands of Sudanese in Khartoum and in various cities and towns in the states participated in the Marches of Millions for Fair Retribution, in response to the call by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC).

At about at 1 pm, demonstrators occupied the main roads and public squares in the three cities of the capital Khartoum. They carried banners and chanted slogans calling for retribution and an independent, transparent investigation into the killing of peaceful protesters.

The protest rallies were launched from 25 gathering points in Khartoum, Khartoum North, and Omdurman, and marched towards four major squares where they were addressed by leaders of the FFC and activist members of various neighbourhood committees.

In Omdurman, four young protesters were killed when security forces shot with live bullets at a demonstration near Soug Libya.

The rally of Khartoum North headed towards Khartoum where FFC coordinators submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Education, in which they condemned the killing of school students in El Obeid on Monday and the investigation report of the Attorney General on the violent dispersal of protesters at the sit-in in front of the army command in Khartoum on June 3.

An official of the Ministry received the memo and addressed the crowd.

Vigils were also held in front of courts and offices of the judiciary, demanding a transparent investigation into the crimes committed against peaceful demonstrators since the start of the uprising in mid-December. Medics and employees organised sit-ins in hospitals and ministries.

Security forces

Various sources told Radio Dabanga that the Sudanese capital witnessed heavy deployment of militiamen of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), riot police, and agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), before the start of the rallies on Thursday morning.

Vehicles of the RSF and riot police were to be seen at all main roads. Land Cruisers belonging to the NISS filled Abu Jinzir Square in downtown Khartoum again, after they had left following the overthrow of President Omar Al Bashir.

The sources explained that neighbourhood committees deployed teams in Khartoum to secure the rallies and protect them from attacks.

The FFC said in a statement on Thursday morning that they hold the military junta responsible for the safety of the peaceful demonstrators.

At the same time, the opposition coalition warned the people against shadow battalions and affiliates of the former regime who were expected to penetrate the demonstrations and create havoc.

They said they had received reliable information that the regime distributed firearms to some of these groups, “to incite violence by firing at protesters and members of the regular forces”.

Outside Khartoum

People in at least 16 of the 18 Sudanese states responded to the FFC call to join the Marches of Millions for Fair Retribution.

In El Obeid in North Kordofan, where RSF militiamen shot at a demonstration of school students on Monday, killing five young protesters, a large angry crowd went out to Freedom Square, where they

were addressed by FFC leaders and members of neighbourhood committees.

Mass demonstrations demanding retribution for the more than 130 protesters killed so far.also took place in the five Darfur state capitals of El Fasher, El Geneina, Zalingei, Nyala, and Ed Daein.

An activist reported from El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, that the city witnessed heavy military police deployment ahead of the demonstrations.

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