Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on Saturday ordered an investigation into a violent crackdown by security forces on demonstrators who protested the dismissal of army officers expressing solidarity with the marches against former President Omar al-Bashir.
"I decided to form an investigative committee in the events that occurred on February 20-21,” Hamdok said in a televised speech.
He said Attorney General Taj-Elsir Ali would head the committee and a final report would be issued within seven days.
On Thursday, Sudanese security forces used teargas and batons to disperse thousands of protesters. They were demanding the reinstatement of army officers dismissed for refusing to crack down on the demonstrations against Bashir.
Over 50 civilians and a number of policemen were injured in the demonstrations.
Mohammed Siddiq was forced into retirement, a move that angered protesters, forcing the army to reinstate him.
Police denied using live fire and accused an unnamed group of taking advantage of the march and trying to break the protective fence surrounding the presidential palace, adding that the group assaulted policemen with stones forcing them to use tear gas under the authorization of the public prosecution.
The police statement said that more than 60 of their members were injured, and that a number of their vehicles were damaged, but pledged to protect the peaceful protest.
The protesters blocked the roads leading to the presidential palace, university, and municipality with barricades and burnt tires.
The Sudanese Professionals Association demanded the dismissal of the Interior Minister and the police inspector, over what it called was “excessive violence” to disperse protesters in central Khartoum and elsewhere in the country, hinting at escalation if its demands were not met.
The Association called for restructuring the national army and reinstating the recently dismissed officers under the supervision of the civilian executive authority.
