Ethiopian leader visits Sudan for talks with military head

Ethiopia's prime minister arrived in Sudan on Friday to try and mediate between the ruling military and the country's protest leaders amid an army crackdown that has killed over 100 people this week.

“Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, together with his delegation, arrived in Khartoum, Sudan, this morning for talks,” Abiy’s office said on Twitter.

Abiy was met by Sudanese generals who in April ousted longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and took over the country after four months of mass protests against his rule.

The young Ethiopian reformist premier - who since taking office a year ago has been at the center of high-profile diplomatic efforts in the Horn of Africa region, including a surprise restoration of diplomatic ties with rival Eritrea - first went into a meeting with Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of the ruling military council.

Abiy was also expected to hold talks separately with the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, a coalition of political groups and parties that represent the protesters who have been demanding that the military hand over to civilian rule.

The visit comes after the African Union, based in Ethiopia, suspended Sudan on Thursday over the deadly crisis roiling the nation. The AU also threatened "punitive sanctions" if the military doesn't quickly relinquish power to civilians.

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.

Abiy 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 neighbor and long-time foe Eritrea.