Sudan’s TMC suspends talks with opposition for 72 hours

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Sudan’s ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) said Wednesday it is suspending talks with the opposition alliance for three days on the transition to civilian rule.

Addressing the nation on state TV Wednesday night, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan attributed the decision to creating a conducive atmosphere for the talks after scores of people were killed and injured in clashes between protesters and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a faction of the army.

“We decided to suspend negotiations with the Alliance for Freedom and Change for 72 hours to prepare a better atmosphere for completing the talks and decided to dismantle the barricades outside the old area of the sit-in square, and we won’t allow anymore extensions of the barricades,” he stressed.

The Sudanese Professional Association (SPA), which is part of the opposition alliance, has also called on the protesters to withdraw from the extended sit-in area.

Widespread confrontations have erupted in the past two days between the RSF and protesters, who attempted to expand the area of the sit-in, closing many main roads in the capital Khartoum.

Meanwhile, the Central Committee of the Sudanese Doctors said in a statement that nine people were injured in Wednesday’s attack on the protesters.

On Monday night, eight people were killed as unidentified forces attacked protesters around the sit-in square.