By RFIPubliée the 31-07-2019Modified the 31-07-2019 at 00:03

Thousands of young people marched in several major cities across the country Tuesday (July 30th) to protest Monday's crackdown that left at least five dead and 62 injured during a peaceful march of students, according to the Medical Committee.

Thousands of young people marched to Khartoum, Omdurman or Port Sudan and Sennar to hold the military accountable. Private companies and health professionals also demonstrated. The Minister of Education has announced the closure of schools. Protesters sometimes blocked roads or burned tires. Several sources speak of wounded, sometimes by bullet, but no balance sheet for the moment.

At the same time, overwhelming elements, photos and videos, about Monday's events in El Obeid , circulate more and more on social networks. For example, a pickup truck with a skull and militia with precision rifles and machine guns firing at protesters.

Delegations went on the spot. Taha Osman, a civilian representative, said there would be " no bargaining today with the military ". Another, Siddig Youssef went further, explaining that he could not " sit at the same table " as the putschists.

Contacts are not broken

Statements as both sides try for several days to agree on a constitutional document that would allow the launch of the transition. On Tuesday evening, the Association of Sudanese Professionals demanded that the power be transferred to a civilian authority, that the security apparatus be restructured and that the FSR (Rapid Support Force) militia, suspected of the main abuses, be dissolved.

The military sends them contradictory signals. Their leader, Abdel Fatah al-Burhan, said that " the killing of El Obeid protesters was unacceptable " and promised that those responsible would be punished. At the same time, he announced a reform of intelligence services. The NISS are renamed GIS (General Intelligence Service). But for Eric Reeves, this name change is the most simplistic reform . The agency will continue to act as it has for 30 years, "said the Sudan expert from Harvard University.

In this context, how can the two sides quickly reach a consensus? Especially as Tuesday, according to the civil coalition, there remained important issues to be settled such as the powers of the new institutions, the deployment of security forces in the country, and " absolute immunity " demanded by the generals.

For the moment, the contacts are in any case not broken. The Dialogue Technical Committee met Monday evening and Tuesday. " There has been progress. The goal is to finish in the day (Tuesday) to allow both parties to resume discussions (Wednesday), "says a mediator. Asked about Monday's killings, the expert denounced " internal and external forces trying to sabotage the process. So we have to move fast, "he says.

    On the same subject

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    Sudan: five deaths at a student demonstration in the center of the country

    Sudan: "This risk of coup d'état was largely predictable"

    Sudan: APS rejects findings of crackdown on sit-in

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