July 18, 2019 (KHARTOUM) - The Transitional Military Council (TMC) on Thursday begun withdrawing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from the positions where they had been deployed in the Sudanese capital Khartoum for more than three months.

The forces, which are accused of committing crimes and human rights violations in the capital, have been deployed in strategic locations in Khartoum since the ousting of former President Omer al-Bashir on April 11.

The Sudan Tribune journalists, on Thursday evening, verified the RSF withdrawal from the entrances and exits of Al-Fitayhab bridge, linking between Khartoum and Omdurman, as the Central Reserve police forces replaced them.

During the midday on Thursday, dozens of RSF vehicles were seen departing the "Green Square", in Khartoum, as protesters arrived in a procession calling for justice for victims of the Sudanese revolution.

The Sudanese revolution activists decided to change the name of the site, which was reserved for the rallies organized by al-Bashir’s regime, from the Green Square to the Freedom Square and celebrated the event.

However, the forces stationed around the presidential palace in Khartoum where are the offices of the Transitional Military Council remained in place. The same for the militiamen deployed in the area surrounding the army general headquarters.

Sudanese activists last June, submitted a request to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) calling to investigate the bloody raid allegedly by the RSF troops on the pro-democracy sit-in on 3 June and other crimes committed after the 11th April 2019.

The petition called to issue an arrest warrant against Mohamed Hamdan Daglo ’Hemetti’ the RSF general command and deputy head of the military transitional council.

(ST)