In Sudan, activists say at least five people were killed Monday after security forces fired on peaceful high school student demonstrators protesting military rule. The victims were between 15 and 17 years old. The killings are believed to have been carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, who protesters say are also behind the deadly raid on a protest camp in Khartoum last month that killed an estimated 130 people.
Over the weekend, Sudan’s Transitional Military Council said their investigation into the June 3 raid found that “rogue” military personnel were to blame for the deaths of just 87 protesters. Human rights groups and protesters on the ground say the government is deliberately undercounting the deaths. Physicians for Human Rights calls the government investigation “biased and inadequate” and says that it “reflects the urgent need for an impartial independent international investigation.” Representatives from the military council and the civilian coalition were scheduled to meet today to discuss details of a power-sharing deal, but the talks were canceled following the shooting.