Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrived in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, on Friday for a one day visit to initiate mediation talks between the military and opposition leaders after the two sides failed to reach an agreement over a transition authority, reported Africa News.
The Ethiopian prime minister was received by TMC spokesman Lieutenant-General Shams-Eddin Kabbashi at Khartoum International Airport before he met military leader Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Abiy, who has played mediation roles in South Sudan and the Kenya-Somalia conflict, is also scheduled to hold talks with the opposition Freedom and Change alliance later in the day. The political leader won wide praise for his diplomacy skills, including brokering peace with his country’s neighbor and long-time foe Eritrea.
The Ethiopian prime minister’s Sudan trip follows a violent clash between the military forces and protestors which left more than 100 dead.
According to the opposition-linked Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, at least 108 people were killed and more than 500 were wounded in Monday’s attack. But, the government has put the death toll at 61 people, including three security personnel.
In the wake of the attack, the African Union (AU) suspended Sudan’s membership on Thursday to intensify global pressure on the military leaders to vow down. The suspension will continue until the effective establishment of a civilian-led transitional authority.
Sudan’s protestors have vowed to continue their campaign of civil disobedience until the military council is removed. The protest leaders have rejected an offer from the ruling military council to negotiate the country’s political future. They said the call for talks was insincere.
