On Sunday morning, two Sudanese protesters were killed as general civil disobedience has begun across the country demanding the Military Transitional Council to leave power. This brings the death toll during the last few days to 118 people, according to the Central committee of Sudan doctors (CCSD).
“Two people passed away in the military hospital, having been beaten and stabbed by the Janjaweed militia,” the CCSD tweeted on Sunday.
In a recent interview with Sky News, prominent Sudanese politician Sadiq al-Mahdi revealed that the escalation between the protest leaders and ruling military council will only harm Sudan.
“I believe that Ethiopian mediation will contribute to tackling the crisis,” al-Mahdi said on Sunday.
Furthermore, al-Mahdi affirmed that there is a peaceful way out to end the crisis, praising the efforts of both Ethiopia and the African Union (AU).
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed headed on Friday to Khartoum to mediate between the protest leaders and ruling military council.
On Thursday, the AU suspended Sudan from all the union's activities until a civil-led transitional authority is formed and is able to take control over the violent crackdown on protesters.
Commenting on the situation, Pope Francis appealed for peace in Sudan by calling on all parties to engage in a dialogue to end the crisis.
“We pray for these people so that the violence ceases and the common good is sought in the dialogue,” he said at St Peter's Square, voicing his concerns over the recent violent crackdown.
Last week, the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) called for a civil disobedience until the Military Transitional Council hands power to a civilian-led government.
The calls followed a bloody crackdown against the sit-in held outside the military headquarters in Khartoum. Protest leaders accused the militia of belonging to the military council for killing dozens of protesters last week. According to the CCSD, 117 people were killed since last Monday and 500 others were wounded. The CCSD also went on to say that 40 of the casualties were allegedly retrieved from the Nile river. However, the Sudanese Ministry of Health stated that only 46 people were killed that Monday. Regardless, most of the injuries were critical and required surgical intervention, the CCSD stated. The DFCF affirmed that the general strike began on Sunday and will continue until a civilian government is formed and announced on Sudanese official TV. The alliance called on people to stay home and abstain from work as a part of the civil and political disobedience to protect their colleagues and fulfil their aspiration until the Military Transitional Council is dissolved and becomes a civilian-led government. Meanwhile, the alliance accused the military council of forcibly disappearing a number of activists and arresting others to prevent their civil disobedience. Moreover, with respect to the violence that took place during the sit-ins, the alliance also demands the formation of an independent committee to investigate the matter. Photos circulating on Sunday on social media showed empty streets and closed shops in Sudan. Since December, Sudanese people from a wide spectrum of society, swept into the streets in large numbers to initially protest against the high increase in the cost of living. Then, they demanded the toppling of Omar Al-Bashir and his regime, who has been in power since 1989. Al-Bashir was eventually removed by his military generals and he is currently in prison. Due to the ongoing crisis, EgyptAir and some airlines in Turkey and the UAE cancelled their scheduled flights to Sudan
