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| Sudan suspends schools after student killings | Sudan suspends schools after student killings |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Lessons in all Sudanese schools have been suspended indefinitely amid mass demonstrations over the shooting dead of schoolchildren at a rally. | Lessons in all Sudanese schools have been suspended indefinitely amid mass demonstrations over the shooting dead of schoolchildren at a rally. |
| The ruling military authorities ordered schools nationwide to close their doors from Wednesday, the state news agency said. | The ruling military authorities ordered schools nationwide to close their doors from Wednesday, the state news agency said. |
| Protesting students gathered in cities including the capital Khartoum following the killings on Monday. | Protesting students gathered in cities including the capital Khartoum following the killings on Monday. |
| Five people died in North Kordofan state, four of them school students. | Five people died in North Kordofan state, four of them school students. |
| Dozens more were injured after snipers and other gunmen opened fire on a protest in El-Obeid over fuel and bread shortages. | Dozens more were injured after snipers and other gunmen opened fire on a protest in El-Obeid over fuel and bread shortages. |
| Why the school closures? | Why the school closures? |
| Hundreds of children, many dressed in their school uniforms and waving Sudanese flags, took to the streets of Khartoum on Tuesday to protest about the killings in El-Obeid. | Hundreds of children, many dressed in their school uniforms and waving Sudanese flags, took to the streets of Khartoum on Tuesday to protest about the killings in El-Obeid. |
| Demonstrations by schoolchildren were also held in other parts of the capital and in other cities. | Demonstrations by schoolchildren were also held in other parts of the capital and in other cities. |
| Late on Tuesday, the authorities responded by ordering the closures of schools covering all age groups | Late on Tuesday, the authorities responded by ordering the closures of schools covering all age groups |
| "Orders have been given to governors of all states to shut kindergartens, primary and high schools from tomorrow (Wednesday) until further notice," the official Suna news agency reported. | "Orders have been given to governors of all states to shut kindergartens, primary and high schools from tomorrow (Wednesday) until further notice," the official Suna news agency reported. |
| What happened in El-Obeid? | What happened in El-Obeid? |
| Videos emerging from El-Obeid in North Kordofan show students in uniform chanting, but their cries for better living conditions are drowned out by heavy gunfire. | Videos emerging from El-Obeid in North Kordofan show students in uniform chanting, but their cries for better living conditions are drowned out by heavy gunfire. |
| Images from a hospital show bloodied victims. | Images from a hospital show bloodied victims. |
| According to the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors, an organisation linked to the pro-democracy protesters, at least 62 people were wounded in El-Obeid alongside the five who died. | According to the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors, an organisation linked to the pro-democracy protesters, at least 62 people were wounded in El-Obeid alongside the five who died. |
| Demonstrators accused paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the shootings there. | Demonstrators accused paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the shootings there. |
| The authorities have since declared a state of emergency in the area and a night-time curfew. | The authorities have since declared a state of emergency in the area and a night-time curfew. |
| The United Nations children's agency, Unicef, has called on the authorities to investigate the killings and bring the perpetrators to justice. | The United Nations children's agency, Unicef, has called on the authorities to investigate the killings and bring the perpetrators to justice. |
| "No child should be buried in their school uniform," it said in a statement that added that the students who died in El-Obeid were aged between 15 and 17. | |
| The chairman of Sudan's military council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has condemned the killings. | The chairman of Sudan's military council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has condemned the killings. |
| "What happened in El-Obeid is sad. Killing peaceful civilians is an unacceptable crime that needs immediate accountability," he was quoted by state television as saying. | |
| What are the wider implications? | What are the wider implications? |
| The killings in El-Obeid came a day before protest leaders were due to hold talks with Sudan's ruling generals, after the two sides signed a power-sharing deal earlier this month. | The killings in El-Obeid came a day before protest leaders were due to hold talks with Sudan's ruling generals, after the two sides signed a power-sharing deal earlier this month. |
| Protest leaders called off Tuesday's meeting after the shootings. | Protest leaders called off Tuesday's meeting after the shootings. |
| The talks were reportedly due to cover items including the powers of the joint civilian-military ruling body; deployment of security forces; and immunity for generals over protest-related violence. | The talks were reportedly due to cover items including the powers of the joint civilian-military ruling body; deployment of security forces; and immunity for generals over protest-related violence. |
| The power-sharing deal, agreed on 17 July, envisages a new governing body of six civilians and five generals. | The power-sharing deal, agreed on 17 July, envisages a new governing body of six civilians and five generals. |
| But the publication on Saturday of the findings of a military-commissioned investigation into the violent dispersal of a Khartoum protest camp on 3 June had already sowed distrust before the events in El-Obeid on Monday. | But the publication on Saturday of the findings of a military-commissioned investigation into the violent dispersal of a Khartoum protest camp on 3 June had already sowed distrust before the events in El-Obeid on Monday. |
| Doctors linked to the protests say the raid on the camp by gunmen left 127 people dead and dozens wounded. | Doctors linked to the protests say the raid on the camp by gunmen left 127 people dead and dozens wounded. |
| Protest leaders rejected the findings of the investigation by prosecutors and the military council which said just 17 people were killed on 3 June, while 87 died in clashes between then and 10 June. | Protest leaders rejected the findings of the investigation by prosecutors and the military council which said just 17 people were killed on 3 June, while 87 died in clashes between then and 10 June. |