March 8, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Tragic scenes unfolded at the conclusion
on Thursday of the morning ceremony of a Sudanese woman killed by police
two days ago as her relatives warned of revenge if no action is taken
against the perpetrator.
- Photo showing the protest that erupted in Al-Deim following the killing of Awadia by police (ST)
The victim, Awadia Agabna, was shot dead on Tuesday by a member of
the Public Order Police (POP) outside her house in Al-Deim area in
central Khartoum during an altercation between the police and her
brother who they accused of being drunk.
The incident gave rise to popular outrage and concomitant protests as
well as renewed criticism of the controversial POP and the legislation
it is based on, which aims to regulate behaviour of men and women
according to Islamic Shariah law.
Sudan’s Ministry of Interior further stoked tension around the
incident by issuing a statement claiming that “drunk” members of the
victim’s family attacked the police and tried to seize their weapons.
The statement also said the victim was killed when the police “fired
three shots in the air.”
More than thousand people gathered on Thursday to attend the final
day of Awadia’s morning ceremony at her family’s house in Al-Deim. The
angry crowd was chanting slogans demanding the resignation of the
interior minister, Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid, and prosecution of the killer.
The victim’s uncle, Ibrahim Idam, who happens to be a longtime member
of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), broke in tears as he
addressed the mourners.
Idam strongly criticised the police and described the incident as
“disgraceful.” He went on to call on Sudan’s President Omer Al-Bashir to
purge the police of “the strangers.”
Awadia’s uncle said amid mournful cries of fellow family members that
“what happened is a disgrace and must be corrected through a fair trial
of the perpetrators.”
Idam warned that the family will resort to other means if the killer
is not tried. He also said the police must apologise for their
“farcical” statement.
Meanwhile, local newspapers in Khartoum reported on Thursday that
Sudan’s interior minister said that the policeman who killed Awadia has
had his immunity lifted and will be prosecuted.
(ST)
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