African Union suspends Sudan for violence against protestors

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The African Union's Peace and Security Council voted on Thursday to suspend Sudan from all AU activities until a civilian government has been formed.

The council made the announcement after a meeting in Addis Ababa of the member states of the pan-continental body.

The decision follows an upsurge in violence in Sudan that erupted on Monday, as its ruling military council and opposition groups vye to take charge of the transition to democracy.

The official death toll in Sudan from this week's has risen to 61, the director general of the Health Ministry said on Thursday, up from a previous toll of 46.

Suleiman Abdel Jabbar told Reuters that of the 61 documented cases, 52 were from the capital Khartoum and they included 49 civilians killed by gunfire and three security personnel who died from stab wounds. The rest were from other provinces.

However, medics linked to the opposition have put the death toll far higher, at 108.Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan on Wednesday called on the Sudanese opposition to initiate dialogue for national interest and to overcome the current crisis.

“We extend our hands for a dialogue that only observes the interest of the homeland,” said Al-Burhan in the statement.

However, the major opposition forces rejected the call for dialogue and demanded the resignation of the TMC chairman.