Sudan says 87 killed when troops broke up protest, critics say too low

The head of a Sudanese investigative committee said on Saturday (July 27) that 87 people were killed and 168 wounded security forces broke up a sit-in protest on June 3. Fath al-Rahman Saeed, the head of the committee, said 17 of those killed were in the square occupied by protesters and 48 of the wounded were hit by bullets. Saeed said some members of the security forces fired live ammunition at protesters in Khartoum who were demanding the military cede power. He added three officers violated orders by moving forces into the sit-in. He also said the order was issued to whip protesters. The committee's findings put the death toll higher than the Health Ministry's previous estimate of 61. But opposition medics have said 127 people were killed and 400 people wounded. Reflecting anger at the findings, dozens of protesters chanted slogans against the committee in Khartoum's Burri district and burned tires in the street, witnesses said.