Sudanese security forces arrested two opposition leaders just a day after they met with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Khartoum, reported Aljazeera.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister reached Sudan on Friday to revive talks between the ruling military council and opposition leaders after the two sides failed to reach an agreement over a transition authority. He met with with the army generals and protest leaders separately. The meeting followed the military’s brutal crackdown on protesters that killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds more.
The military has been in the power since it removed long-time President Omar Al-Bashir from power on April 11, following months of mass protests.
In a statement, the Ethiopian prime minister called on the Sudanese people and political forces to show courage and lead towards a democratic, inclusive transition.
“The army, the people and political forces have to act with courage and responsibility by taking quick steps towards a democratic and consensual transitional period,” Abiy said in a statement issued to reporters after the meeting. “The army has to protect the security of the country and its people and political forces have to think about the future of the country.”
Abiy met with opposition politician Mohamed Esmat and Ismail Jalab, a leader of the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), both leading members of the Freedom and Change alliance.
The security forces arrested Esmat on Friday soon after his meeting with Abiy, while they arrested Jalab at his residence early on Saturday, their aides told AFP news agency.
“A group of armed men came in vehicles at 3:00 am and took away Ismail Jalab .. without giving any reason,” Jalab aide Rashid Anwar told AFP. “We don’t know where they are being held.”
On Thursday, the African Union said it had suspended Sudan from all activities until a civilian-led government was formed. The United Nations and several governments also condemned the attack on protestors.
