U.S. condemns killing of civilians and Journalists’ harassment in Sudan
June 1, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Tibor Nagy, Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, Friday, condemned the recent killing of civilians and the harassment of journalists in Sudan.
Two people were recently killed by the Sudanese security forces also the security apparatus closed the office of Al Jazeera TV after a strongly worded statement by the Transitional Military Council (TMC) leading members describing the site of protest as a threat to the national security.
“We call on the TMC to stop attempts to restrict the population’s right to peaceful protest and to ensure that there is no further violence,” Nagy.
He underscored that suppression of free expression and the media are hallmarks of the old regime and called on the TMC to halt this trend.
“The TMC was not established to rule #Sudan but to participate in the transition to a civilian-led transitional government,” he stressed.
He further called on the TMC and the opposition coalition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) to return to negotiations that lead to an agreement.
“It is time for Sudan’s next chapter to begin”.
Talks between the two sides are stalled over the Sovereign Council as the military council refuses to give the majority in the Council and its leadership to the civilian opposition which, in return, rejects to concede it to the army.
Sudanese opposition is more and sceptical over the TMC willingness to hand over power to a civilian-led authority.
During the recent past days, the military council leader and his deputy visited the Gulf countries where they declared maintaining Sudanese troops in the Saudi-led coalition that fight the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
(ST)