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The Ethiopian Prime Minister on Friday called for a "quick" democratic transition in Sudan after meeting the ruling generals and leaders of the protest a few days after the deadly crackdown that killed dozens of protesters in the capital.
Abiy Ahmed arrived in Khartoum to restart talks between the Sudanese generals and the leaders of the protest after the African Union suspended Sudan on Thursday until the army gave way to a transitional authority led by civilians.
The decision taken by the African bloc was backed by the EU while Sudanese army leaders were condemned for the deadly crackdown on Monday with a sit-in of several weeks in front of the siege of the army, demanding a civil regime.
"The army, the people and the political forces must act with courage and responsibility in taking swift action towards a period of democratic and consensual transition," Abiy said in a statement signed to the press after holding separate meetings with the generals and officials of the event.
"The army must protect the country's security and its people and its political forces must think about its future," he said.
The leaders of the demonstration welcomed the Abiy mediation, but insisted that new discussions with the generals could only take place if certain conditions were met.
"The Transitional Military Council must recognize the crime it has committed," Omar al-Digeir, leader of the protest movement Alliance for Freedom and Change, told reporters.
He said all "military elements should also be removed from the streets across the country" and also called for an international investigation on "the mbadacre at the sit-in".
"State of terror"
Mr Digeir said that the military council should also restore Internet access and allow the freedom of the public and the media.
Since the deadly aggression, the people of Khartoum, frightened, have remained largely indoors, leaving the streets virtually deserted at a time when Muslims normally celebrate the holidays of Eid al-Qaeda. Fitr.
The paramilitaries of the dreaded rapid support forces, from the famous Janjaweed militia unleashed in the conflict in the western region of Darfur in 2003 and 2004, remained stationed in many of the capital's main squares.
Others were seen patrolling their branded truck with heavy machine guns or rocket launchers.
"We live in a state of terror because of sporadic gunfire," said a resident of southern Khartoum to AFP.
He added that he was "afraid that his children would go to the streets" while the paramilitaries were patrolling parts of the capital.
In north Khartoum, riot police threw tear gas Thursday night after demonstrators erected improvised roadblocks made of stone, bricks and tree trunks.
RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is deputy head of the ruling military council, warned that he would "not allow chaos" and pledged to abolish all barricades.
Protesters and military authorities reported widely divergent deaths as part of the crackdown.
According to doctors close to the demonstrators, 113 people were killed in Khartoum, including 40 whose bodies were removed from the Nile.
According to the Ministry of Health, 61 people have died in the country, including 52 live ammunition in Khartoum.
Pressure on the generals
The crackdown was launched after the break-up of talks between the leaders of the protest and the generals on a new transitional governing body to replace the military council that took power after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir on 11 April.
Despite several initial advances, the talks culminated in a stalemate in protesters' demand – backed by Western and African governments – that there be a civilian majority and a civilian leader.
The African Union, headquartered in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, has announced that it is suspending Sudan, "until the effective establishment of an African Union Authority." transition led by civilians as the only way to lift Sudan out of the current crisis. "
The European Union said it was joining the AU in calling for "an immediate halt to the violence and a credible investigation into the latest days' criminal events".
Pressure has been exerted on the generals to resume negotiations, even from the Arab Gulf states, which are among their main supporters.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which pledged $ 3 billion in emergency deposits and credits to support the Sudanese pound and finance imports of basic necessities, also called for resumption of negotiations.
The generals have so far been protected from the condemnation to the United Nations by China, which has made important investments in Sudan.
Beijing, backed by Moscow, blocked Tuesday an offer to the UN Security Council to condemn the killing of civilians in Sudan and urge world powers to halt the violence immediately, officials said. diplomats.
"Sudan is extremely strategic for China," said Marc Lavergne of France's National Center for Scientific Research.
"He has huge potential resources that are not being exploited."
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