Sudan's transitional government is under fire after security forces used live ammunition Tuesday to disperse people marking the two-year anniversary of a pro-democracy protest, leaving two people dead.
On June 3, 2019, soldiers opened fire on pro-democracy demonstrators who had surrounded military headquarters in Khartoum, killing more than 100 people. Relatives of the victims gathered Tuesday around military headquarters in the capital to remember those killed.
A few hours after Tuesday's gathering, security troops fired live ammunition to disperse the remaining protesters and killed two people. Dozens more were injured, and witnesses say many were arrested after the attack.
Sudan's military denied any connection to the attack and said it did not issue instructions to use live ammunition. The military said it will open an investigation.
On Wednesday, the office of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok said Hamdok met with the generals, the heads of the interior and defense ministries, and other officials to discuss Tuesday's incident.
In a news release, Hamdok expressed the transitional government's sorrow for the bloody events and the excessive use of power and called on the military and justice system to help with an investigation.
The embassy of the United States expressed its shock and condemned the use of live ammunition, urging the transitional authorities to fully investigate the attack.
Many officials and parties who have roles in the transitional government called on top officials to resign if authorities fail to name and prosecute the troops who opened fire.
The transitional government came to power in 2019 after generals ousted longtime president Omar al-Bashir following months of mass protests against his rule.
That August, protest leaders and the generals signed a power-sharing agreement.
According to the agreement, military generals are due to hand over power to a civilian leader named by the protest leaders later this month.
June 3 marks the two-year anniversary of the massacre. Pro-democracy protesters have proclaimed that date as a deadline for the transitional authorities to start prosecuting those behind that event and the killing of the two people on Tuesday.
