Sudanese union says 6 killed in clashes with security forces

FILE - In this April 30, 2019 file photo, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy head of the military council, second right, speaks at a press conference in Khartoum, Sudan. As the uprising against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir gained strength, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia began reaching out to the military through secret channels to encourage his removal from power. (AP Photo)

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Sudanese security forces shot and killed six people, including an army officer, in overnight clashes with protesters behind the uprising that drove President Omar al-Bashir from power last month, a medical union said Tuesday.

The killings took place after nightfall on Monday, when protests in Sudan usually swell during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that is marked by dawn to dusk fasting.

Just hours earlier, Sudanese prosecutors announced that they have charged al-Bashir with involvement in killing and incitement to kill protesters during the uprising, according to the state news agency SUNA.

It was not immediately clear what punishment he might face. Protest organizers say security forces killed around 100 demonstrators during the four months of rallies leading to al-Bashir's overthrow.

Al-Bashir is also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide linked to the Darfur conflict in the 2000s. But Sudan's ruling military council has said it would not extradite him to the ICC at The Hague.

The Sudan Doctors Committee, which is part of the Sudanese Professionals Association that has been spearheading the protests since December, said the latest six fatalities included an army officer. The clashes took place in several locations across the country, including the ongoing sit-in area outside the military headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, the union said.

The ruling military council confirmed the death of an army major and said three troops were wounded at the sit-in.

Since the military removed al-Bashir on April 11, he has been imprisoned in Khartoum. The demonstrators, however, have remained in the streets, demanding the military hand over to civilian rule.

Footage circulating online late Monday showed protesters blocking roads in Khartoum with burning tires and trees. Other footage showed men from the Rapid Support Forces forcibly dispersing protesters. The paramilitary force, which has led counterinsurgency campaigns in Darfur and other regions, is led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy head of the military council.

The Sudanese Professional Association said the road closures were in response to the military council's delay in handing over power to civilians.

The protesters had resumed negotiations with the army earlier Monday while also calling for more demonstrations nationwide, including another march to the main sit-in.

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Magdy reported from Cairo.