Don’t gloss over the atrocities in Sudan – innocent protesters are being killed by the dozens

I would like to alert you to the atrocities and dire political situation taking place in Sudan, which is undergoing a popular uprising to rid the country of the dictatorship that ruled for 30 years.

The peaceful revolution was successful in deposing former president and indicted war criminal Omar al-Bashir. However, the military junta backed by brutal militia forces has seized power and refused to hand over to a transitional civilian administration.

Yesterday, 3 June, they committed heinous crimes and murderous violations of human rights by opening fire on peaceful demonstrators – killing at least 35 and injuring hundreds. They have also targeted hospitals and medical professionals treating the injured. There are widespread reports of raping, looting and beatings.

The perpetrators are largely from the infamous Janjaweed militia forces that wreaked havoc amongst the people of Darfur through killing and rape, and now bring their brand of terror to the capital Khartoum.

They are led by the genocidal and power-hungry war lord Hemedti and his collaborators on the military junta. They are backed and bankrolled by corrupt dictatorships in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt. Their aim is to rule the country through brute force and genocide.

To cover their crimes, they have kicked out all major media outlets, even the somewhat initially sympathetic Al Jazeera. They have prohibited foreign journalists from leaving their hotels. But there is ample video evidence of documented crimes captured on mobile phones.

The peaceful demonstrators have now started mass strikes and civil disobedience throughout the country. This is an admirable and courageous uprising by a people fighting for their freedom, human and democratic rights via peaceful means.

I’m writing this to help to raise awareness and to implore people to do what they can to bring pressure to the perpetrators of these heinous crimes in Sudan, and to demand they hand over power to a civilian transitional administration.

Ali Abbas
London NW10

Trump and the climate challenge

While the nation’s media obsesses with Trumpery, The Independent’s article “High likelihood of human civilisation coming to end by 2050” (Independent 4 June) caught my attention.

With accelerating climate change very possibly bringing about a “world of outright chaos” by the middle of the century, the thought occurs that we really shouldn’t be welcoming a world leader who’s doing everything in his power to bring that date forward.

Hunt cosying up to Trump

I fear Jeremy Hunt is getting his close relationships confused. The institution that has provided unprecedented peace and prosperity over the past 70 years is the EU, not the US.

By all means let’s celebrate that close relationship, and if Corbyn, Bercow, Cable and others choose to boycott an event welcoming a hate-mongering climate change denier to our shores, good for them.

Lynda Newbery
Bristol

Of course Khan is playing politics

What was the point in printing Jim Sokol’s letter (Letters, 3 June)?

Of course it’s all political, Sadiq Khan and Trump are politicians.

What on earth have the “sins” of other earlier politicians got to do with the contemporary situation?

Attila the Hun didn’t have a great track record but that doesn’t stop us passing comment on other warmongers!

Anthony Ingleton
Sheffield

BP and Senegal

The concerns raised in last night’s Panorama programme about BP’s purchase of stakes in gas licences near the coast of Senegal must now be the subject of serious investigation by the authorities. If shown to be valid, there will inevitably be serious repercussions – not least for the good name of BP.

The allegations we heard recall previous occasions on which a large corporation appears to have been involved in decidedly “dodgy” dealings relating to impoverished developing countries.

One had hoped that, with greater awareness of the imbalance of power between rich and poor nations, we would be hearing less of these kind of things. Seemingly, they still go on.

Andrew McLuskey
Ashford, Kent

Transport needs an overhaul

By building HS2 we are adapting a 19th century transport system to the 21st century.

We are only a few years away from self-driving vehicles and we need to be planning our transport system around this.

What kind of infrastructure do we need to accommodate road trains and self-driving vehicle convoys?

How do we adapt our road networks for this? Do self-driving cars provide a viable alternative to trains?

Self-driving technology will be with us long before the completion of HS2, yet I see no signs of our planners and politicians addressing these issues.

Jack Liebeskind
Cheltenham