All schools in Sudan have been ordered to suspend classes indefinitely after a crowd of students launched demonstrations against the killing of six protestors including four pupils at a rally in a central town.
“Orders have been given to governors of all states to shut kindergartens, primary and high schools from Wednesday until further notice,” the official SUNA news agency said, following a directive issued by the ruling military council.
Five high-school students were shot dead and more than 60 wounded some by snipers during rallies in Al-Obeid.
“Killing a student is killing a nation,” chanted hundreds of schoolchildren, dressed in their uniforms and waving Sudanese flags, as they took to the streets of Khartoum against the killings in Al-Obeid on Monday.
The chairman of Sudan’s military council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, condemned the killings and says an investigation is underway.
“What happened in Al-Obeid is sad. Killing peaceful civilians is an unacceptable crime that needs immediate accountability,” he told journalists, quoted by state television.
The killings came a day before protest leaders were due to hold talks with generals on remaining aspects of installing civilian rule after the two sides inked a power-sharing deal earlier this month.
The protest coalition and the military council were set to meet Tuesday, but protest leader Nour al-Din Salah said his side pushed the meeting to Wednesday following the latest violence.
