SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AP – Group urges Sudan to ensure protester safety during rallies

28/6/19: AP – Group urges Sudan to ensure protester safety during rallies, by Samy Magdy

 AP reports that Amnesty International said Friday that Sudanese military rulers must guarantee the safety of protesters ahead of planned mass rallies over the weekend calling for civilian rule and following a deadly military crackdown that has left more than 100 dead since early June.

 “The horrific unprovoked use of lethal and unnecessary force against peaceful protesters as witnessed on 3 June must not be repeated this Sunday, or ever again,” said Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty’s secretary general.

Protest leader Sherif Osman, from the Declaration of Freedom and Change, which represents the protesters, said the “peaceful” marches planned for Sunday could only be called off “if the military council handed over power to civilians.”

The demonstrations are planned to mark the 30th anniversary of the Islamist-backed coup that brought Omar Al Bashir to power in 1989.