Sudanese military clashes with protesters

At least 13 people died in the Sudanese capital Monday, when military officials cleared a sit-in camp at the center of protests over the transitional military government. Troops cordoned off roads in Khartoum, while the sounds of explosions and gunfire rang throughout the city. Video footage showed protesters running amid clouds of dark smoke. The Forces for Declaration of Freedom and Change, which represents protesters in political negotiations, confirmed the death toll and said more than 200 other people sustained injuries.

The Sudanese military, after months of protests, ousted longtime leader Omar al-Bashir on April 11. Protesters have held a sit-in outside military headquarters for weeks as they clash with military officials over the makeup of the transitional government.

Shams al-Deen al-Kabashi, spokesman for the ruling military council, in a televised speech said the military targeted an area near the sit-in over criminal activity, but the violence spilled over. The Sudanese Professionals Association, which organized the protests, condemned the military’s “treacherous attempt to break-up our sit-in” and called for more civil disobedience.