Johannesburg – Academic activities in Sudan have been suspended indefinitely following the killing of four protesting students and one other person by snipers on Monday, and the wounding of more, as they rallied in the town of Al Obeid, in central Sudan.
Following the deaths more protests were held by defiant secondary students as they called for justice for those who were killed, African News reported on Wednesday.
The student protests followed the Transitional Military Council (TMC) unusual move of condemning the gunning down of the students.
This month the TMC finally agreed to the establishment of a transitional government, comprising five military and six civilians, to lead the country for a period of three-years until elections are held.
The agreement followed months of intense pressure on the military junta by the African Union (AU), regional negotiator Ethiopia and the international community.
Talks on the issue were due to resume on Tuesday but a team of negotiators from the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) travelled to inspect the site where the students were killed stating that depending on their assessment of the situation resumption of talks could be delayed indefinitely.
Since protests broke out last December 246 people have died, including the 127 protesters killed during a sit-in outside military headquarters in early June and in the days of subsequent violence.