Sudan crackdown may have killed up to 241 last June: rights group

KHARTOUM: Sudanese security forces deliberately killed scores of people, possibly as many as 241, in a crackdown on a pro-democracy protesters last June, an international rights group said Thursday. It was the deadliest episode against a months-long protest movement that kicked off in late 2018 and led to the ouster of veteran president Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 and to civilian rule later that year. Thousands of Sudanese protesters had camped outside the army headquarters in Khartoum demanding Bashir´s ouster and kept up their sit-in even after his departure to protest against military rule. On June 3, armed men in military fatigues moved in on the protest camp and dispersed thousands of demonstrators. In the ensuing days-long crackdown, scores were killed and wounded. Doctors linked to the protest movement have said at least 128 people died in the violence. Authorities gave a lower death toll of 87 and denied ordering the sit-in dispersal.