Photos of Sudan protest victims faked, says interior minister

KHARTOUM: Photographs widely circulated online and claiming to show protest victims gunned down by Sudanese security forces last week actually came from a neighboring country, the interior minister said Monday.
“Most of the pictures on social media websites are from Egypt,” Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamed told a news conference.
Authorities say 33 people have died since petrol and diesel prices jumped more than 60 percent on Sept. 23, sparking protests by thousands, the worst urban unrest in the history of President Omar Bashir’s 24-year reign.
Activists and international human rights groups say at least 50 people were gunned down, most of them in the greater Khartoum area.
Videos and photographs purporting to show bloodied victims have circulated on YouTube, Facebook and other social media networks.
In Egypt, hundreds of people have been killed since the army overthrew President Muhammad Mursi on July 3.
With reporters complaining of stepped up censorship, numerous videos and photographs purporting to show bloodied victims have circulated on YouTube, Facebook and other social media since the demonstrations began eight days ago, sparked by a rise in fuel prices.
“Most of the pictures on social media websites are from Egypt,” the interior minister told a news conference.
Authorities say 34 people have died since petrol and diesel prices jumped more than 60 percent on Sept. 23, sending thousands into the streets in the worst urban unrest in the history of President Omar Bashir’s 24-year reign.
Activists and international human rights groups said at least 50 people were gunned down, most of them in the greater Khartoum area.
The real toll was difficult to determine but “could be as much as 200,” a foreign diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.