Baku, Azerbaijan, June 4
By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:
Turkish Airlines canceled flights to Sudan, due to the current unstable situation in the country, Trend reports referring to Turkish media.
According to media reports, the exact date of the resumption of flights is unknown.
The Sudanese army had started a crackdown on the sit-in protest on the square near the complex of buildings of the Sudanese Ministry of Defense in central Khartoum, which was organized back on 6 April, and were firing at the demonstrators. The death toll exceeded 35 people, with hundreds injured, according to a statement by the opposition Central Committee of Sudan Doctors.
According to the committee, the exact death toll can not be established due to armed militiamen and law enforcement services surrounding hospitals and attacking or detaining doctors. In addition, according to the protesters and doctors, the bodies of many of the dead were thrown into the Nile River, the statement says.
Sudanese opposition accused the transitional military council of dispersing a peaceful rally and called for mass protests across the country and the immediate withdrawal of the military council from power. The military, in turn, said that the operation was not directed against the demonstrators, but for apprehending the criminals who had leaked into the ranks of the protesters. The army called for a continuation of the dialogue with the forces of the political opposition, stating that negotiations could resume in the coming days, and promised to allow the protesters to return to the capital's square.
Sudan experienced a military coup on 11 April following 4 months of mass demonstrations. Then-President Omar Bashir was subsequently overthrown and detained after almost 30 years in power. A Transitional Military Council formed by the army took over and pledged to organize a new presidential election and transfer the leadership to the elected authorities within two years.
Protesters meanwhile remain in the streets demanding that the military yield power to a civilian authority.