Body of killed tea seller found in Sudan’s Nile river

The body of tea seller Amal Gous has been found after she went missing during the authorities’ violent dispersal of the sit-in in front of the army general command in the Sudanese capital on June 3.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Food and Beverage Workers Cooperation reported that her body was found floating in the Nile near Khartoum.

Five other women are still missing.

A large number of food and beverage sellers, mainly women, at the sit-in were severely beaten. Many were raped. Several of their children were beaten and sexually assaulted as well.

Apart from being subjected to sexual abuse and violence, the street vendors,  lost all their financial and in-kind property. The total losses amount to more than one billion Sudanese Pounds, Awadiya Mahmoud, head of the cooperation told Radio Dabanga yesterday.

She called on “Sudanese in the country and abroad” to help out the vendors “who lost all their possessions during the dismantling of the sit-in”.

Attacked

On Ramadan 29/June 3, Sudanese government forces, the majority being militiamen of the Rapid Support Forces, attacked the sit-in in front of the army command in Khartoum, and violently dispersed the thousands of fasting protesters present at the scene.

At least 100 people were killed by life bullets or batons and more than 700 were injured. Several bodies were later found in the Nile. A number of women protesters, medics, and street vendors were sexually assaulted or raped.

Condemnations in Sudan and abroad were many. The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies called the violent action a crime against humanity.

The Transitional Military Council denied being responsible for the action, and rejected an international inquiry into the violence.

Demonstrations and vigils calling for a civilian-led government are continuing in Sudan, leading up to the March of Millions coming Sunday.

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