Sudan Hangs Nine

Nine Sudanese men, convicted of murdering a newspaper editor in 2006, have been executed at a Khartoum prison.

It is believed that the men were upset at an article written by the editor which downplayed the scale of rape in the Darfur crisis and took shots at women of the region.

All nine men belonged to the Fur tribe, one of three major tribes targeted by the Sudanese government and the Janjaweed as part of the genocide in Darfur.

The men proclaimed their innocence to their loved ones before the hangings –

They said they should be considered as martyrs for the cause of Darfur and asked their families not to weep for them.

Hundreds of Darfuris gathered outside the prison. Also, thousands of demonstrators staged protests throughout Khartoum – angered at what they believe is a “political crime”.