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A few days after the end of a blackout on mobile Internet services, Sudanese are shocked by the content of videos and online photographs that seem to document the deadly raid on protesters last month.
Crowds of protesters were violently dispersed – and dozens of people were killed – by men in military fatigues during a raid before dawn on a sit-in of lasting duration. 39, a week in front of the army headquarters in Khartoum on 3 June.
"The brutal scenes of murder and beatings left me very angry," said Hussein Hashim, a 19-year-old university student from the El-Deem neighborhood in the capital.
"The authors have no mercy, religion or humanity."
Protesters who had camped on the site demanding a civilian regime were shot and beaten as armed men raged in the area, triggering the indignation of the international community.
But the carnage was virtually invisible in Sudan, as the country's military leaders imposed a national power outage on mobile Internet services.
The authorities have reinstated the mobile internet only last week, paving the way for the viral transmission of photographs and videos on social media networks.
Services had to be reinstated after Khartoum-based lawyer Abdelaziz Hbadan won a lawsuit against 3G and 4G service providers.
"The purpose of blocking the internet was to hide information and evidence of what had happened during the mbadacre," Hbadan told AFP.
"Every citizen has the right to know the real information in order to be able to make his own point of view."
A photo, which could not be verified, aroused particular anger.
There are men in military trousers and boots laying their feet on the face of a pretended demonstrator lying on the ground.
Dozens of videos circulate, including one that shows a group of men – also in military uniform – surrounding a teenager who screams after a man who shakes her head in the neck.
Tactic of intimidation?
Several videos show gunmen beating protesters with sticks as thick smoke escaped from the scene of the protest at the sound of a continuous gunfire.
AFP has not been able to independently verify the origin of many photos and videos, most of them being published on accounts using pseudonyms.
Before the violent dispersal of the site of the demonstration, protesters had camped there since April 6, initially to solicit the help of the army in order to overthrow the long-time leader, Omar al-Bashir .
The army deposed Bashir on April 11, but the protesters continued the sit-in after the seizure of power by a military council.
Since the restoration of the Internet, groups of people have been seen watching and circulating videos and photographs in shops, cafes and hotels.
Some have created a Facebook page to document all the images of the "mbadacre".
"We must hold the perpetrators of this crime accountable," wrote a user on the page.
Another warned "without responsibility, punishment and revenge, this spectacular revolution will not succeed".
Protesters and human rights groups have accused members of the paramilitary and feared Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of organizing the operation.
While outraged activists and protesters have themselves shared and broadcast the videos, some believe that RSF has also contributed to the sending of viral images, with the aim of intimidating protesters.
"These videos are meant to scare us," said Samuol, who did not give his full name.
"But the horrible scenes will give us a bigger reason to fight for the rights of the martyrs," he added.
Content "manufactured"
RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is also deputy head of the country's ruling military council, rejected the accusation that his forces were involved in the raid.
"These photos are fabricated," he said at a recent rally, accusing foreign intelligence agents of having filmed and broadcast the videos.
"There are people who have filmed 59 videos in one day … how is that possible? Of course, they have an agenda," he said.
Many in the streets do not believe in Dagalo's claims.
Some images show men wielding sticks against protesters and wearing uniforms usually worn by RSF.
The protest said the raid killed more than 100 people and injured hundreds in a single day.
"These videos are not made, they were filmed by gunmen themselves," said a driver, showing an AFP correspondent a video in which we see groups of men in action. military outfit beat the protesters.
"After watching these videos, I want to take revenge on the victims," he said without revealing his name for security reasons.
Women are also angry.
"I was happy when the internet was restored, but I now feel angry and humiliated," said a resident of Khartoum after viewing the videos online.
"They want to intimidate women, but we will not be afraid and will continue to participate in the protests," she said without revealing her identity.
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