Sudan: Hundreds of protesters take to streets for those missing since sit-in dispersal

Hundreds of protesters in Sudan took to the streets on Friday, demanding to know the whereabouts of almost a dozen demonstrators who went missing in a deadly crackdown on a protest camp in June.  

The rallies, held in the capital Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman, coincided with the International Day of the Disappeared, AFP news agency reported. 

At least 11 people were reported missing after the violent crackdown on a sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum on 3 June, lawyers linked to the protest movement said earlier this month. 

"We are calling for identifying the location of people missing since June 3," protester Moataz Mowaia Mohamed told AFP on Friday. "We also want an independent investigation into their cases." 

Protesters at one Khartoum rally carried pictures of the missing and chanted: "I will remain steadfast, how can I go back [home] when I have someone missing," AFP reported. 

Lawyer Shawki Yacoub told the news agency that other protesters may also have gone missing since the crackdown, and that their cases were being looked into. 

The protest camp outside the army complex that was dispersed in June was originally set up on 6 April as part of nationwide call for the overthrow of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir. 

Days later, military generals ousted Bashir, but the protesters kept up their sit-in to demand the new army rulers cede power to civilians.

At least 127 people were killed in the crackdown, according to medics linked to the protest movement. 

This month, Sudan embarked on a transition to civilian rule following a power-sharing deal signed between protest leaders and generals.

The ruling council, officially sworn in on 21 August, is made up of six civilians and five generals and is set to rule for a 39-month transitional period to complete civilian rule.