Iran Press/ Africa: In the first interview by a council member to western media since Sudanese troops raided a pro-democracy sit-in last week, leaving more than 100 people dead, Lieutenant General Salah Abdel Khalig insisted the seven-man military junta wanted a return to civilian government once national security had been guaranteed.
“We do not want to rule Sudan forever, a few months and we will go home,” Lt Gen Khalig, head of the air force, told the Financial Times from the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum. The military would even invite the UN to run the vote, he added, but for reasons of national security the army must remain in charge until then.
The military seized power in April, ousting long-serving president Omar al-Bashir after four months of anti-government protests. Initially welcomed as liberators, talks between the transitional military council and protest movement leaders broke down over the structure of an interim government, before security forces turned their guns on the people last week.
International mediators, including US diplomat Tibor Nagy, who arrived in Sudan on Wednesday, and Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed, are seeking to rebuild trust between the two sides. To allow mediation efforts to progress, the civilian opposition ended a general strike on Wednesday and the transitional military council agreed to release political prisoners. But Lt Gen Khalig played down the chance of a breakthrough.
“I feel these negotiations will not go well. They behave like kids — they are not behaving like adult politicians,” he said of the protest leaders who he believes are unwilling to compromise. 213/
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