Sudan's military blames protesters for violence, following army massacre

Sudan's ruling military has blamed the protest movement for an escalation in tensions in the country, as the second day of the opposition's general strike kicks in.

The protesters have been trying to pressure the army to hand over power to civilian rule following the April ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

Lt. Gen. Jamaleddine Omar, from the ruling military council, alleged that by closing roads and setting up barricades the protesters committed a crime, despite a bloody crackdown on a demonstration last week which saw over a hundred people brutally murdered by security forces.

Read more: Sudan protesters vow to continue civil disobedience campaign

He said that the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have beefed up their presence across the country to restore life back to normal.

Sudan's protest leaders on Monday urged the Sudanese to continue their general strike, part of a civil disobedience campaign to press the military to handover power to civilians.

The civil disobedience campaign was launched after a week of deadly violence in the capital Khartoum. 

At least 118 people were killed and hundreds injured in the massacre and ongoing crackdown, according to the Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) with bodies dumped into the River Nile.

Paramilitary and security forces on Monday stormed a 58-day-long peaceful sit-in, reportedly beating and shooting at unarmed protesters, raping doctors and throwing dozens of dead bodies into the Nile.

Activists have reported arrests and opposition activists being beaten as paramilitary militias roam the streets, dismantling barricades set up by demonstrators to shield their neighbourhoods from more violence.      

Eight Khartoum hospitals have also been forced to shut their doors due to harassment and the looting of medical supplies, the Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) said on Sunday, adding that an additional three public hospitals had been partially closed.

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