Sudan's Forces of Freedom and Change accuses army of ‘committing genocide’

Sudan’s Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) yesterday accused the local authorities of “committing genocide against peaceful demonstrators.”

The FFC statement comes a day after 15 anti-coup protesters were reported to have been killed on Wednesday by security forces in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.

“The coup forces committed a massacre on Wednesday demonstrations by firing live ammunition, leaving at least 15 dead and more than 100 others dead,” the statement read.

The opposition group described the killings as “systematic,” noting that they were “counting to genocide and crimes against humanity.”

“The security forces are still besieging neighbourhoods in Khartoum’s northern district of Bahri, while arresting female revolutionaries,” FFC pointed out, adding that the army forces were preventing ambulances from reaching the injured civilians, while preventing wounded protestors from reaching hospitals for treatment.

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FCC stressed that the coup leadership could not be “entrusted to our homeland.” “The military is the real obstacle in the way of implementing the revolution goals and restoring the legitimate civil government,” the statement reiterated.

The Sudanese Professionals Association said on Wednesday that 15 protesters were killed in clashes with the security forces. The rallies were reported to have demanded the army to step down from power.

On 25 October, the Sudanese Chief of Staff, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, declared a state of emergency, dissolved the Sovereignty Council and the transitional ministers, dismissed the governors and arrested party leaders, ministers and officials. The move was widely condemned by international governments and organisations.

Before the declaration, Sudan had been living through, since August 2019, a 53-month transitional period, during which power was shared by the army, civil forces and armed movements based on a peace agreement that was signed with the government in 2020. The transition was expected to end with holding elections in early 2024.