SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AP – AU envoy mediates Sudan crisis as protesters slam military

13/6/19: AP – AU envoy mediates Sudan crisis as protesters slam military, by Bassam Hatoum and Samy Magdy

 AP reports that an African Union envoy said Thursday that mediation efforts to ease Sudan’s crisis are making “significant progress.”

 The AU envoy to Sudan, Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt, declined to elaborate on where the mediation talks were headed, saying during a news conference in Khartoum that it was up to the two sides to disclose the outcome of the talks.

 He also said that the AU is demanding “an accurate, transparent and credible” investigation into last week’s violent sit-in dispersal.

 Following the military crackdown on protesters, the AU’s Peace and Security Council suspended Sudan’s participation in all AU activities until a civilian-led transitional authority is formed. Lebatt reiterated that other punitive measures could be taken if the situation deteriorates further in Sudan, but the suspension could be lifted if the situation improves.