Hemeti blames ‘snipers and infiltrators’ for violence at demonstrations on June 30

More than eight people have been injured during the Sunday demonstrations, the deputy chairman of the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) and Commander-in-chief of the Rapid Support Forces militia (RSF), Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, better known as Hemeti, announced at a rally organised by the eastern Sudanese Kawahla tribe yesterday. He said that “snipers and infiltrators” were to blame.

Three men injured were militiamen of the RSF, Hemeti claimed. He accused snipers inside the Palace of Youth and Children in Omdurman of shooting those injured.

“The military is here to protect the protestors. But we can’t do anything when it comes to infiltrators. Five or six people have been hit. We need to go there to sort out the problem.”

Hemeti also said: “You have to know that there are infiltrators, people that want to change the current situation. But if we reach an agreement [with the Alliance for Freedom and Change] and if you understand the situation, we will get rid of the snipers who are killing the people right now.”

SUNA

Sudan’s official state news agency SUNA reported late on Sunday that seven people were killed and 181 wounded, 27 of them by live ammunition. This message was later taken offline.

Press conference

At a press conference held Sunday evening at El Amal Hospital, Brig. Juma, Spokesman for the Armed Forces, held the demonstrators responsible for the injuries inflicted on the three wounded members of the Rapid Support Forces. He said that the shots came from the direction of the demonstrators and that the RSF and other security services were located in the direction of Omdurman city.

Pursuing the infiltrators

Brig. Juma said that because of the shooting the demonstration lost its peacefulness. He warned that the security services “are pursuing the infiltrators” who opened fire at the RSF, adding that they will be detected in the coming few hours.

Juma also said that the demonstrators suddenly began throwing stones at the security services, forcing the police to use tear gas to disperse them.

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