Ethiopian PM in Sudan to help mediate political crisis

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Ethiopia's prime minister arrived in Khartoum on Friday in a bid to mediate in the political crisis that has followed the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April.

A diplomatic source says Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed planned to meet members of both the ruling Transitional Military Council headed by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the opposition. Abiy's exact schedule for Friday was not known.

The Ethiopian effort follows the worst bloodshed in Sudan since Bashir was ousted by the military after four months of protests against his repressive three-decade rule.

The opposition says 108 people were killed in the storming of a civilian protest camp on Monday and a subsequent wider crackdown. The government put the toll at 61 people, including three security personnel.

The African Union on Thursday suspended Sudan until the establishment of civilian rule, intensifying global pressure on the military leaders to stand down.

Both sides had been in talks over a civilian-led transition to democracy. But the already faltering negotiations collapsed in the wake of the crackdown.

Prime Minister Ahmed, who took office in Ethiopia last year and introduced political and economic reforms, has won wide praise for his diplomacy skills, including brokering peace with his country's neighbour and long-time foe Eritrea.