Ethiopia’s mediator in the Sudan crisis yesterday urged the military rulers and the opposition coalition to hold direct talks and strike a deal on handing over power to civilians.
The Transitional Military Council, which has ruled Sudan since Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was ousted in April, and the Forces of Freedom and Change opposition coalition have agreed on proposals presented by the Ethiopian and African Union mediators to solve the crisis, Ethiopian mediator Mahmud Dirir said.
However, they still disagree over the structure of a sovereign council meant to lead the country during the transitional period, Dirir told reporters in Khartoum on Tuesday, urging the two sides to engage in face-to-face talks to clinch a deal.
A time and a place for the meeting are set, but would not be disclosed for security reasons, and both sides have already received invitations, he added.
“The two sides are just around the corner to reach an agreement, but one issue remains disagreeable,” African Union mediator Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt told the news conference. “We call the two parties to reach a compromise on this remaining issue.”
Sudan’s military overthrew Bashir on April 11 after months of demonstrations against his three decades in office.
The opposition alliance on Sunday organized a major show of force when tens of thousands of people took to the streets.
It said that it was calling for another mass march on Saturday next week and a day of civil disobedience on the following day.
The military council has accused the opposition groups of being responsible for the violence and said that at least three members of the security forces were injured by live fire.
The mediators urged both sides to avoid escalation to help reaching an agreement.
Earlier on Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates said that it is important to continue dialogue in Sudan and avoid an escalation.
“Dialogue should continue without antagonism and toward an agreement on transition... It is necessary to avoid conflict and escalation,” Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash wrote on Twitter.
Egypt, which deems security in its southern neighbour as critical, on Tuesday said its ambassador in Khartoum met a leader in the opposition coalition on Monday.
Cairo is seen as a supporter of the army rulers.
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