Skirmishes erupted at the civilian protests held in front of the defense ministry building in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. This came hours after protest leaders and the ruling generals reached a breakthrough agreement on transitional authorities to run the country.
Armed personnel, who remain unidentified, opened fire at the Khartoum sit-in. Clashes then pitted protesters and officers in an escalation of violence that resulted in the deployment of 50 heavily-armed security convoys throughout the capital.
Deaths were registered on both sides.
The Transition Military Council (TMC) accused “ill-intentioned parties” of seeking to dismantle what the revolution succeeded in achieving so far and looking to throw the recent agreement between the council and the Coalition of Freedom and Change Forces off balance.
The Coalition has been conducting talks with the TMC, which took control over the country after the ouster of former president Omar al-Bashir, in order to ensure that power is transferred to a civilian authority.
One policeman and three protesters were killed in Khartoum and many other demonstrators were wounded, state TV said.
TMC spokesman Lieutenant General Shamseddine Kabbashi put the death toll among soldiers at three.
"Behind this are groups that... are working hard to abort any progress in negotiations,” he said.
Kabbashi called for maintaining vigilance towards provocations of violence looking to undermine advancing revolution objectives.
He reaffirmed the TMC and Coalition’s continued cooperation and that Sudan’s military establishment will continue to protect the revolution accomplishments.
Early on Tuesday the TMC said it would not allow citizens' safety to be jeopardized. "Neither the (paramilitary) Rapid Support Forces or the army will fire one shot at our protesting brothers, but we repeat: we do not allow chaos," it said.
Protesters said counter-revolutionaries linked to the former Bashir regime incited Monday's violence. The deaths were the first linked to protests in Khartoum in several weeks.
