juin
06
2019
African Union suspends Sudan until the establishment of a civilian transitional authority
The African Union on Thursday suspended Sudan from the bloc meetings until the military rulers hand power to a civilian-led authority.
After a fourth meeting since April, when protesters forced Omar al-Bashir out of power, the African Union Peace and Security Council said Khartoum must now hand power to civilians.
“The AU Peace and Security Council has with immediate effect suspended the participation of the Republic of Sudan in all AU activities,” the Council tweeted on Thursday.
The bloc said the suspension will be in place “until the effective establishment of a Civilian-led Transitional Authority, as the only way to allow the Sudan to exit from the current crisis.”
The decision comes four days after the start of the deadly crackdown on the protest by the military and allied militia, which killed at least 108 people and wounded more than 500, according to a committee of doctors close to the demonstrators. On Monday, the army and militia affiliated with the military who took power after the fall of Omar al-Bashir on April 11, conducted a "clean-up operation" - to use the words used by the Sudanese minister of Health - from Khartoum Square to the epicenter of the protest.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission, then "strongly condemned the violence" and "called for an immediate and transparent investigation" to identify the responsibilities.
On Wednesday, the AU had embarked on a series of shuttle diplomacy as AU Chairperson Moussa Mahamat Faki tried to resolve the standoff between the military rulers and civilian groups on when elections should be held.
Mr Faki sent his envoy to Khartoum to speak to “all parties.”
2/2: My special envoy is currently in Khartoum and holding talks with all the parties and I look forward to brief the @AfricanUnion Peace&Security Council when it meets tomorrow to evaluate the current situation in #Sudan.
The envoy’s report influenced the decision of the 15-member Council, whose main roles is to prevent conflicts or violation of democratic principles among member states.
Mr Faki, a Chadian diplomat, had said the solution to Khartoum must be consultative.
