Sudan summoned the UN envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, over remarks he made regarding the Thursday’s anti-military protests.
Mr Perthes has been at loggerheads with the military authorities since the coup against the civilian-led transitional government last October.
In an interview on Wednesday with Saudi-funded Al-Hadath TV the envoy cautioned the government and security agencies to maintain the right of freedom of expression and the right for assembly.
He said authorities “should avoid using excessive force and violence against the protesters”.
In a statement on Twitter ,Mr Perthes had said “violence against protesters will not be tolerated” while calling for the authorities to “ensure their commitment to protecting the rights” of the people.
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Sudan’s under-secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dafa’allah al-Hajj Ali, is quoted by the state-run Suna news agency as having told Mr Perthes that his remarks were “unacceptable as they show guardianship and violation of national sovereignty”.
Security forces were reported to have closed major bridges linking the capital, Khartoum, to the twin cities of Omdurman and Bahri ahead of the protests.
A Sudanese doctors’ union said 103 people had been killed as a result of the crackdown against pro-democracy demonstrations prompted by last year’s military coup.
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Source: Africafeeds.com
