Doctors linked to the opposition in the Sudanese capital Khartoum said some 40 bodies were pulled from the river on Wednesday. These are thought to be among the 100 people believed killed since security forces attacked a pro-democracy protest camp on Monday. Reports said a feared paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), was attacking civilians.
The RSF is a state security arm formerly known as the Janjaweed, infamous for its alleged role the genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region over a decade ago.
The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said in a Facebook post: “Forty bodies of our noble martyrs were recovered from the river Nile yesterday.”
An official from the group told the BBC they had witnessed and verified the bodies in hospitals and the death toll now stood at 100.
Sudan’s ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) vowed to investigate and called for resumed negotiations with the opposition, reversing a statement the previous day in which he said dialogue was over.
But the TMC also defended the violence, saying the protesters had been infiltrated by rogue elements and drug dealers.
Mohammed Hamadan – also known as Hemedti – the deputy head of the TMC and commander of the RSF, said: “We will not allow chaos and we will not go back on our convictions. There is no way back. We must impose the respect of the country by law.”
How did the violence begin?
Demonstrators had been occupying the square in front of the military headquarters since April 6, days before President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown after 30 years in power.
Representatives had been negotiating with the TMC and agreed a three-year transition that would culminate in democratic elections.
But on Monday, forces swept in and opened fire on unarmed protestors in the square.
A former security officer quoted by Channel 4’s Sudanese journalist Yousra Elbagir said that some of those thrown into the Nile had been beaten or shot to death and others hacked to death with machetes, calling it “a massacre”.
The next day, TMC head General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced that negotiations with protesters were over, all previous agreements were cancelled, and elections would be held within nine months.
International condemnation of the crackdown was swift and on Wednesday General Burhan made another televised speech in which he said the TMC was willing to resume negotiations.
But a Sudanese alliance of protestors and opposition groups rejected the invitation for further talks, saying the TMC could not be trusted.
Now, much of Khartoum is under lockdown, with one resident telling the BBC: “We have reached the point where we can’t even step out of our homes because we are scared to be beaten or to be shot by the security forces.”
Another resident, who also asked not to be named, said he was pulled from his car by members of the RSF and beaten on his head and back.
A pharmacist from Khartoum said RSF troops were shutting down hospitals to prevent civilians receiving treatment.
He said: “They kicked us out from two hospitals that were giving aid to the injured and the victims of the gunshots.
“It’s an order from the military council to shut down those hospitals because we were giving aid for the citizens.”
Another woman said: “They’re surrounding neighbourhoods, they’re threatening people. They’re also using live ammunition. They’re everywhere. We’re not feeling safe and we don’t have trust in the security forces. It’s complete chaos.”
Reports of media and internet blackouts and sexual violence are also coming in.