UN rights expert demands accelerated investigation into Sudan post-coup killings

A protester was shot dead during Friday's demonstrations

Sudanese protesters at a rally marking the third anniversary of a 2019 sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan. EPA

A UN human rights expert on Sudan called on Saturday for faster investigations into the killings of protesters and other suspected crimes.

The death toll in Sudan since last year's military takeover reached 99, when a protester was shot during Friday's demonstrations.

Sudan has been rocked by unrest and repression of near-weekly mass protests since army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan's power grab on October 25 derailed a transition to civilian rule.

“It is simply unacceptable that 99 people have been killed and more than 5,000 injured as a result of excessive use of force by the joint security forces,” Adama Dieng said, citing a toll provided by pro-democracy medical professionals.

He called on authorities “to expedite” investigations into the killings of protesters.

Mr Dieng has raised concerns during talks with senior officials over arbitrary and mass arrests of activists, sexual and gender-based violence, and “acts of torture and ill-treatment” during detentions.

He said an investigation set up by Sudanese authorities has confirmed “four cases of sexual violence” during the protests.

Spiralling prices and a poor harvest are “forecast to dramatically increase the number of people living in poverty”, he said.

The UN, along with the African Union and regional grouping the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, have been pushing for Sudanese-led talks to break the post-takeover political stalemate.

On Friday, UN special representative Volker Perthes announced the Security Council had voted to extend by one year the UN's mission in Sudan.

Mr Perthes, as well as AU and IGAD representatives, agreed with military officials to start “direct talks” among Sudanese factions next week.

On Sunday, Gen Al Burhan lifted a state of emergency to set the stage for “meaningful dialogue that achieves stability for the transitional period”.

Since April, Sudanese authorities have released several civilian leaders and pro-democracy activists.