At least five protesters, including four high school students, have been shot dead after security forces broke up a student protest in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid, opposition groups have said.

The killings on Monday came a day before protest leaders and ruling generals are set to hold new talks on Sudan's transition following the removal of former leader, Omar al-Bashir.

Gunfire rang out as teenagers rallied against fuel and bread shortages in the capital of North Kordofan state, residents said, at a time of heightened tensions between opposition campaigners and military rulers that took power following Bashir's removal.

A key protest group, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), said "live ammunition" had been used against a "rally of school students" in the central town of El-Obeid.

In a post on its Facebook page, it urged "all citizens and medics" to head to hospitals treating the wounded.

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"We call on our people to take to the streets ... to denounce the Al-Obeid massacre, to demand the perpetrators be brought to justice," said the SPA, which had launched the initial protests.

Authorities announced a nighttime curfew in four Sudanese towns following the incident. There was no immediate statement from the ruling military council.

The acting governor of North Kordofan, Mohamed Khidr Mohamed Hamid, told Al-Arabiya TV there had been a "slight friction" between protesters and security forces. He said he could not confirm who opened fire and a committee would investigate.

Videos circulating on social media purported to show students protesting outside El-Obeid's main hospital against the killings and injuries.

At least 5 were killed, including 4 school children & 1 medic, after #Hemeti's notorious paramilitary #RSF Janjaweed militia opened fire on a protest in El-Obeid, North Kordofan state, #Sudan's 🇸🇩 opposition-linked doctors' committee @Sd_Doctors https://t.co/Ksx4NLJwxV — Saad (@SaadAbedine) July 29, 2019

Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, reporting from neighbouring Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, said students took to the streets demanding justice and better living conditions shortly before the shooting took place.

"The opposition called for nationwide protests to condemn the violence," Morgan said. "They say they blame the ruling military council for the death of the protesters."

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Morgan said the protesters and opposition have also demanded that the police protect them.

"They say the military council and the police should not be attacking protesters as they voice their anger and demand a civilian government," she said.

According to her, a transition agreement between the military and the civilian opposition has not yet been signed.

Sudan's state news agency SUNA said authorities in North Kordofan closed all schools across the state until further notice and described the events as "regrettable".

El-Obeid residents said a funeral would be held on Tuesday for those killed.

In Khartoum, a witness said dozens of protesters took to the streets in several neighbourhoods after hearing about the El-Obeid violence, Reuters News Agency reported.

Demonstrations in Khartoum against the killing of protesters in El Obeid, western #Sudan, where snipers shot at least 5 during demonstrations against power outages #SudanUprising #KeepEyesOnSudan #السودان #تسقط_بس https://t.co/xJghRB9Bz0 — Isma'il Kushkush (@ikushkush) July 29, 2019

'Independent investigations'

Opposition activists, unions and professional groups launched nationwide protests against mounting economic hardships and long-term leader al-Bashir in December last year.

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The military removed al-Bashir in April as the protests and shortages persisted. But activists kept up their demonstrations, pressing for the military to speed up the move to civilian rule and calling for justice for people killed during a raid on a sit-in protest in Khartoum in June.

The Forces of Freedom and Change coalition called for Monday's attackers in El-Obeid to be held accountable and for the ruling military council to immediately agree upon the details of a new transitional authority.

"Forces belonging to the army and Rapid Support (paramilitary force) indiscriminately and violently fired this afternoon at peaceful demonstrations of secondary school students in El-Obeid," the coalition said in a statement.

"Only a civilian authority is capable of carrying out independent investigations into all crimes," it added.

Monday's deaths also sparked calls for talks set for Tuesday to be suspended.

The talks were set to cover issues including the powers of the joint civilian-military ruling body, the deployment of security forces and immunity for generals over protest-related violence, according to protest leaders.

Khartoum has seen angry demonstrations since Saturday, when investigators announced the results of a probe into a deadly crackdown on a protest camp on June 3.

Shortly before dawn on that day, gunmen in military fatigues raided the site of a weeks-long sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum, shooting and beating protesters.

Doctors linked to the protest movement said the raid left 127 people dead and scores wounded.

But a joint investigation by prosecutors and the ruling military council found that just 17 people were killed on June 3, with a total of 87 dying between that day and June 10.

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The probe identified eight officers involved in the violent crackdown on the protest camp, including three from the feared Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group.

But protest leaders have rejected the findings, saying the inquiry exonerated the military council and gave a far lower death toll than their own figures.

The investigation was "commissioned by the military council, this is challenging its integrity as the military council itself is accused in this case," said the SPA.

Demonstrators have called for an independent investigation into the raid as the ruling generals insist they did not order the dispersal of the sit-in. </s> KHARTOUM — At least two students were shot dead at a protest in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid, capital of North Kordofan state, an opposition-linked doctors’ committee said on Monday.

The committee said several people had been injured but did not give details. </s> Five people were shot dead at a protest in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid, capital of North Kordofan state, the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said on Monday.

The committee said several people had been injured but did not give details. </s> Khartoum [Sudan], July 30 (ANI): At least five protesters, including four high school students, have been shot dead after security forces opened fire on a student protest in the central Sudanese city of El-Obeid on Monday (local time), opposition groups have said.

The killings came a day before protest leaders and ruling generals are set to hold new talks on Sudan's transition government following the removal of former leader, Omar al-Bashir, Al Jazeera reported.

Gunfire rang out as teenagers rallied against fuel and bread shortages in the capital of North Kordofan state, residents were quoted as saying, at a time of heightened tensions between opposition campaigners and the military following Bashir's removal.

A key protest group, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), said, "live ammunition" had been used against a "rally of school students" in the central town of El-Obeid.

In a post on its Facebook page, it urged "all citizens and medics" to head to hospitals treating the wounded.

"We call on our people to take to the streets ... to denounce the Al-Obeid massacre, to demand the perpetrators be brought to justice," said the SPA, which had launched the initial protests.

Authorities announced a nighttime curfew in four Sudanese towns following the incident. There was no immediate statement from the ruling military council.

The acting governor of North Kordofan, Mohamed Khidr Mohamed Hamid, told Al-Arabiya TV there had been a "slight friction" between protesters and security forces. He added that he could not confirm who opened fire and a committee would investigate the incident. (ANI) </s> Sudan’s security services have shot dead four high school students protesting in the city of El-Obeid on Monday, Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors confirmed.Many other people were injured while security service tried to break up the protest, according to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors who helped lead months of protests against Sudan’s long-term leader Omar al-Bashir.

Sudan’s military leaders who ousted Bashir in a coup in April have not issued any statement concerning the protest and the killing of demonstrators.

A video making the rounds on social media features hundreds of high school students in their uniform chanting “blood for blood” outside El-Obeid’s main hospital where those killed and injured were taken.

Demonstrators who demand the military to speed up the move to civilian rule and call for justice for people killed during a raid on a sit-in protest in Khartoum in June have been staging protests since April. </s> At least four school children and one adult were shot dead as security services broke up a protest in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid on Monday, campaigners said.

At least four school children and one adult were shot dead as security services broke up a protest in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid on Monday, campaigners said.

Four school children among those shot dead by security services during protest in Sudan

A group of doctors linked to the opposition said the five were hit during a demonstration by high school pupils in the main city in Sudan's North Kordofan state.

Many other people were injured, added the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors - one of a group of unions and professional bodies that helped lead months of protests against Sudan's long-term leader Omar al-Bashir.

There was no immediate statement from the state security services, or from Sudan's military leaders who ousted Bashir in a coup in April as the protests mounted.

Videos circulating on social media purported to show pupils protesting outside El-Obeid's main hospital against the killings and injuries.

Hundreds of teenagers in uniform chanted "blood for blood, we will not accept blood money" in the footage.

The doctors group did not give details on what first started the protest in El-Obeid, around 400km southwest of the capital Khartoum.

But opposition activists have kept up their demonstrations since April, pressing for the military to speed up the move to civilian rule and calling for justice for people killed during a raid on a sit-in protest in Khartoum in June.

The main opposition Forces of Freedom and Change coalition is negotiating with the ruling military council to finalise an agreement for a three-year transition to elections.

The two sides signed a deal on July 17 setting out the transition's institutions. But talks have been repeatedly delayed since then amid disagreements of the wording of a constitutional declaration to determine the role of a new council to run Sudan. </s> A committee will investigate the killing of at least four school children and one adult hours after security forces and student-led protesters clashed in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid, acting governor of North Kordofan general al-Sadiq al-Tayeb Abdallah said on Monday.

The acting governor blamed “infiltrators” that diverted a peaceful demonstration from its course and caused a “state of chaos.”

He did not say how the victims died but added that a committee was set up to investigate.

A building belonging to the Bank of Khartoum was set on fire during the unrest in El-Obeid, 400 km (250 miles) southwest of the capital Khartoum, residents told Reuters.

The Forces of Freedom and Change coalition of opposition groups accused military and paramilitary forces of opening fire on the high school pupils and called for nationwide protests in response.

A member of a professional body of pharmacists linked to the opposition captured a video that he said showed several wounded young men inside El-Obeid Teaching Hospital.

The head of Sudan’s ruling military council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said there must be immediate accountability over the incident, Sudan TV announced in a news bulletin on Tuesday. </s> At least four school children and one adult were shot dead when security forces broke up a student protest in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid on Monday, campaigners said.

Gunfire rang out as teenagers rallied against fuel and bread shortages in the capital of North Kordofan state, residents said, at a time of heightened tension between opposition campaigners and Sudan's military rulers.

The Forces of Freedom and Change coalition of opposition groups accused military and paramilitary forces of opening fire on the high school pupils and called for nationwide protests in response.

There was no immediate statement from Sudan's ruling military council.

The acting governor of North Kordofan, Mohamed Khidr Mohamed Hamid, told Al-Arabiya TV there had been a "slight friction" between protesters and security forces. He said he could not confirm who opened fire and a committee would investigate.

A building belonging to the Bank of Khartoum was set on fire during the unrest in El-Obeid, 400 km (250 miles) southwest of the capital Khartoum, residents told Reuters.

Videos circulating on social media purported to show pupils protesting outside El-Obeid's main hospital against the killings and injuries.

Hundreds of teenagers in uniform chanted "blood for blood, we will not accept blood money" in the footage. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the videos.

A member of a professional body of pharmacists linked to the opposition captured a video and photographs that he said showed a corpse and several wounded young men inside El-Obeid Teaching Hospital.

Opposition activists, unions and professional groups launched nationwide protests against mounting economic hardships and long-term leader Omar al-Bashir in December last year.

The military ousted Bashir in April as the protests and shortages persisted. But activists kept up their demonstrations, pressing for the military to speed up the move to civilian rule and calling for justice for people killed during a raid on a sit-in protest in Khartoum in June.

The Forces of Freedom and Change coalition called for Monday's attackers in El-Obeid to be held accountable and for the ruling military council to immediately agree to the details of a new transitional authority.

"Forces belonging to the army and Rapid Support (paramilitary force) indiscriminately and violently fired this afternoon at peaceful demonstrations of secondary school students in El-Obeid," the coalition said in a statement.

"Only a civilian authority is capable of carrying out independent investigations into all crimes,” it added.

Sudan's state news agency SUNA said that North Kordofan authorities had closed all schools across the state until further notice and described the events as "regrettable".

El-Obeid residents said a funeral would be held on Tuesday for those killed.

In Khartoum, a Reuters witness said dozens of protesters took to the streets in several neighbourhoods after hearing about the El-Obeid violence.

The head of an official Sudanese investigation said on Saturday 87 people were killed when security forces broke up a sit-in protest in Khartoum on June 3, a figure that prompted demonstrations across the capital as opponents of Sudan's military rulers dismissed it as far too low. </s> The head of Sudan’s military council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, mourned the death of five people who were shot dead during a protest in the city of El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.

“Every Sudanese who gets killed is a big loss, and we need to expedite a solution,” al-Burhan said.

“Delaying the transition will lead to more losses and economic deterioration,” he added.

Al-Burhan also said: “We thank the Sudanese people for their patience with the Council and the forces of freedom.”

“Sudan’s youth aspires to have a free and just nation and we have to respond,” he added.
Five students are shot dead after security forces open fire in the city of El-Obeid during a protest.