UPDATE - Death toll from Sudan clashes rises to seven

UPDATES DEATH TOLL

By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM (AA) - The death toll from ongoing clashes outside Sudanese army headquarters in Khartoum rose to seven on Monday after five more people succumbed to their injuries, according to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD).

“Five more people -- including a doctor -- have succumbed to their injuries, bringing the total death toll from today’s clashes to seven, mostly civilians,” the CCSD said in a statement.

The police, for their part, have pledged to refrain from using force against protesters, vowing to focus their efforts instead on “protecting citizens and their property and preventing crime”.

“Police have dealt with the demonstrations in accordance to the law,” Sudan’s Police Directorate said in a statement.

“But in light of recent developments, we have decided to refrain from using undue force,” it added.

Earlier Tuesday, two soldiers were killed outside army HQ in Khartoum after clashes erupted between military personnel and an unidentified pro-government militia group, according to an earlier CCSD statement.