SUDAN: Authorities probing violations against anti-coup protesters

By: Ollus Ndomu

Reinstated caretaker Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok announced Tuesday that Sudanese authorities were investigating human rights violations against protesters who took to the streets following last month’s military coup.

PM Hamdok’s comments on human rights violations came shortly after his meeting with members of the civilian Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), the former governing coalition that mobilized countrywide protests following the October 25 military power grab, which attracted internal, regional and international condemnation.

According to the local public media, Sudan News Agency (Suna), the coalition has thrown its weight behind Mr Hamdok’s and his new struck deal with the military following comprehensive talks held in the capital, Khartoum.

In recent days after the reinstatement of the PM, the influential former ruling coalition had vowed never to recognize any political marriage of convenience involving military leadership.

In what analysts have termed as the ‘spirit of peace mending’ PM Hamdok and the coalition called for the freeing of all political prisoners yesterday and asked the military to allow citizens space for peaceful protests as the country works towards political healing.

Sudan had fallen under a wave of nationwide protests which killed 40 people after the military junta seized power and arrested key officials who constituted the transitional government