Ethiopias prime minister on Friday urged Sudans military rulers and civilian opposition to exercise “bravery” in trying to agree on a transition to democracy after the worst bloodshed since the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who flew to Khartoum from Addis Ababa to try to mediate the countrys crisis, held separate talks with the countrys ruling military council and leaders of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces, an alliance of protesters and opposition parties.
The visit came days after forces stormed a protest camp outside the Defense Ministry in central Khartoum where demonstrators were demanding civilian rule. Dozens of people have been killed since Monday.
Khaled Omar, a leader of the opposition alliance, said Abiy proposed setting up a transitional council comprised of eight civilians and seven military officers with a rotating presidency.
The opposition demanded that the military rulers take responsibility for the bloodshed, allow an international investigation into the violence, and free political prisoners, Omar added.
But, instead of releasing prisoners, security forces arrested Mohammad Esmat, a member of the opposition delegation shortly after he met with Abiy, sources from his party said.
The military council could not immediately be reached for comment.
“This amounts to a practical response from the military council that effectively rejects the Ethiopian prime ministers mediation effort,” Omar told Reuters, adding that the Sudanese opposition would not agree to any deal before all of its conditions are met.
The military council said it was ready to negotiate at any time, state news agency SUNA reported.
Although no breakthrough was announced at the end of the one-day visit, an adviser to the Ethiopian prime minister said the talks went well and that Abiy would be returning to Sudan soon.
The military council and opposition had been in talks for weeks over who should lead Sudans transition to democracy.
But negotiations collapsed after Mondays violence. The opposition said it could not talk to untrustworthy rulers. Opposition medics say 113 people were killed in the storming of the camp and subsequent crackdown.
The government, however, has put the weeks death toll at 61, including three security personnel.Read More – Source
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