African Union Suspends Sudan After Deadly Protest Crackdown

(Bloomberg) -- The African Union suspended Sudan from the organization until the nation establishes a civilian-led transitional authority, days after security forces killed dozens of protesters in the capital and talks with opposition leaders stalled.

In a statement, the union’s Peace & Security Council said such an authority was the only way open for Sudan to “exit from the current crisis.”

International criticism of Sudan’s military rulers has mounted following the violent June 3 crackdown on a protest camp, which a doctors’ group aligned with protesters said left at least 108 people dead. The Sudanese Health Ministry put the toll at 61. It was the worst violence in the country since the military ousted veteran President Omar al-Bashir amid a popular uprising in April.

While Sudan’s military has pledged a transition to democratic rule, talks with the opposition stalled over representation in a power-sharing government. Authorities had recently described the Khartoum sit-in, marked by a carnival atmosphere, as a threat to public order.

There were signs that diplomatic efforts to find a way forward had intensified. Omer Aldigiar, an official with the Congress Party that is part of an opposition coalition, told Bloomberg they had been invited to meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday in Khartoum, in an apparent attempt at mediation.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said earlier that Moscow was in contact with Sudan’s ruling military council and the opposition in a bid to help defuse the standoff.

But the Declaration of Freedom and Change opposition coalition ruled out more talks with the military council in a statement on Thursday, demanding it be held accountable for the deadly crackdown.

At a United Nations Security Council meeting Tuesday, Russia and China blocked a statement circulated by Germany and the U.K. condemning the killing of civilians and urging a rapid solution to the crisis, diplomats said. The UN has temporarily relocated non-essential personnel from Sudan, according to Stephane Dujarric, the secretary-general’s spokesman.

Sudan’s military has denied it carried out the assault on the Khartoum protesters, with Mohamed Hamdan, deputy leader of the military council and head of the Rapid Support Forces, instead blaming “forces” who had obtained RSF uniforms.

In a statement published on the official Sudanese SUNA news agency, the army said it would safeguard Sudanese lives, but called on people to stay away from military installations.

--With assistance from Layan Odeh, Samer Khalil Al-Atrush and Okech Francis.

To contact the reporters on this story: Rudy Ruitenberg in Paris at rruitenberg@bloomberg.net;Mohammed Alamin in Nairobi at malamin1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Katerina Petroff at kpetroff@bloomberg.net, Mark Williams, Paul Richardson

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