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Right after sunrise on Monday, June 3, paramilitary forces opened fire on peaceful protestors staging a sit-in opposite the Army General Command in Khartoum, Sudan. The attack was led by Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a state-controlled offshoot of the Janjaweed. The militia was also responsible for war recent crimes in Darfur.
The soldiers smashed through protestor barricades, burnt their tents to the ground, and shot protestors indiscriminately. Protestors scattered and hid in surrounding buildings to avoid the gunfire. Once the crowd was dispersed, the RSF moved onto the surrounding neighborhoods and continued to beat, rape, and kill protestors.
The event has been dubbed the “Sudanese Massacre” and ended negotiations between the RSF and the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), a group of pro-democracy organizers. Prior to the massacre, the two sides were making progress and had agreed on a 3-year deal to transition to democracy. Negotiations broke down in May and tensions mounted until the massacre last week in Khartoum.
The Sudanese Massacre or “Khartoum Massacre” resulted in 124 deaths, 700 injuries, and over 70 cases of rape.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Story was Broken Internationally by a Sudanese Social Media Influencer
Sudanese influencer and beauty blogger Shahd Khidir posted a series of photos on Instagram on June 6th that called for help from the international community. The Sudanese Massacre was not being covered by most news outlets and she implored news agencies and other influencers to bring attention to their plight.
“There’s a massacre happening in my country” Khadir wrote, “Sudan’s and a media blackout and internet censorship for four consecutive days. There is no objective media sharing what’s going on expect for @aljazeeraenglish which had their offices shot down.” She goes on to say her friend was murdered in the massacre. She then called on anybody and everybody to help spread the news as the RSF had cut off internet access to civilians.
The post went viral, garnering over 500K likes and attracting the attention of pop superstar Rihanna who posted about it in her Instagram story.
New outlets began covering the story and the international community has since taken notice.
2. The RSF Blocked Internet Access for Civilians
Photo credit should read -/AFP/Getty ImagesLocals set tyres on fire and block a sidestreet leading to their neighbourhood in the Sudanese capital Khartoum to stop military vehicles from driving through the area on June 4, 2019.
Buzzfeed is reporting that RSF has shut down nearly all access to internet and phone services throughout the country following the massacre. The RSF is attempting to cover up their crimes and Khartoum is essentially under military occupation.
The blackout is creating difficulties for protestors to organize, find family & friends, and get information out to the international community. It has also made it difficult to determine the exact extent of the massacre.
3. Soldiers Raided the Hospitals and Attacked Wounded Protestors
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Following the initial massacre, RSF forces raided three Khartoum hospitals and began shooting wounded protestors that had been brought in for treatment. At Sudan’s Royal Care Hospital, RSF soldiers forced 50 wounded protestors to evacuate and arrested a doctor that had been part of the sit-in protest.
Two medics who were present at the Khartoum sit-in were also raped during the massacre. The RSF continues to raid hospitals in search of wounded protestors and doctors treating them.
4. The Military Took Over Following the Removal of Omar Al-Bashir
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The removal of Omar Al-Bashir created a power vacuum in Sudan. The initial protests two months ago led to the autocratic leader Al-Bashir being ousted. Al-Bashir had led a combination of a military dictatorship and a Muslim Brotherhood–led regime. Despite their success at removing the dictator, revolutionaries were unable to take power from the military who refused to relinquish control of the country.
The protestors wanted a civilian-led transition government and were involved in negotiations with the military. The negotiations turned into a stalemate and instead of agreeing on a way forward the military has seized power and imposed their will with brutal force.
5. The RSF Is Disposing of Dead Bodies in the Nile
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As first reported by CNN, the RSF has been dumping protestor bodies into the Nile River in an attempt to cover up the actual death toll from the Sudan Massacre. Over 40 bodies were weighed down with rocks and thrown in the river according to the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors (CCSD).
Witnesses are also reporting that the RSF is not allowing them to touch or recover the bodies of dead protestors presumably because they plan to dump them in the river.
The actual body count from the massacre continues to grow and more bodies are discovered in the Nile River.