UNITED NATIONS, June 3 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday condemned the violence and reports of the excessive use of force by security personnel on civilians in Sudan.
Noting the violence has "resulted in the deaths and injury of many," Guterres condemned the use of force to disperse protestors at the sit-in site and he was alarmed by reports that security forces have opened fire inside medical facilities, said his spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a briefing.
In recent days, Khartoum, the capital and largest city of Sudan, has witnessed security incidents near army headquarters, where thousands of Sudanese protesters have been staging a sit-in since April 6.
Protesters are demanding that the country's Transitional Military Council (TMC) hand over power to civilians.
Meanwhile, spokesman for Sudan's TMC, Shams-Eddin Kabashi, on Monday denied news on dispersing the sit-in in central Khartoum, amid reports that 10 civilians were killed.
The Secretary-General reminded the TMC of its responsibility for the safety and security of the citizens of Sudan, said Dujarric, adding that the UN chief urged all parties to act with utmost restraint.
"This includes responsibility for upholding the human rights of all citizens, including the right to freedom of assembly and of expression," he added.
"The Secretary-General urges the Sudanese authorities to facilitate an independent investigation into the deaths and to hold those responsible accountable," said Dujarric.
The TMC, chaired by Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, is tasked with running the country's affairs following the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir.
The Secretary-General urged the parties to pursue peaceful dialogue and to stay the course in the negotiations over the transfer of power to a civilian-led transitional authority, as required by the African Union, Dujarric added.
