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WORLD NEWS Saturday 8 June 2019
Ethiopian PM visits Sudan in bid to mediate crisis

By BASSAM HATOUM The Sudan Doctors' Cen-
NOHA ELHENNAWY tral Committee, one of the
CARA ANNA protest groups, said at least
Associated Press 113 people have been
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — killed and more than 500
Ethiopia's prime minister wounded since Monday.
met with Sudan's ruling gen- It says more than 40 bodies
erals and protest leaders have been pulled from the
on Friday in a bid to revive Nile River in Khartoum and
negotiations amid a crack- taken away by security
down on demonstrations forces since the violence
that has killed more than erupted.
100 people since Monday. The protesters have blamed
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, much of the violence on
a young reformist who as- the Rapid Support Forces,
sumed office a year ago, a paramilitary group that
has been at the center of grew out of the notorious
high-profile diplomatic ef- Janjaweed militias mobi-
forts in the Horn of Africa lized by al-Bashir during the
region, including a surprise Darfur conflict in the early
restoration of diplomatic 2000s. The militias were
ties between Ethiopia and widely accused of crimes
rival Eritrea. He arrived in Ethiopia's prime minister Abiy Ahmed, center, arrives in Khartoum, Sudan on Friday, June 7, 2019, against humanity, and al-
to try and mediate between the ruling military and the country's protest leaders amid an army
Sudan as the crisis following crackdown that has killed over 100 people this week. Bashir — now jailed in Khar-
the overthrow of longtime Associated Press toum — was indicted on
autocrat Omar al-Bashir charges of genocide.
turned increasingly violent. headquarters in Khartoum, Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the rect" or "indirect" talks with The head of the RSF, Gen.
The military removed al- and similar clashes have head of the ruling council, the military. Mohammed Hamdan Da-
Bashir from power in April erupted in other cities and as well as protest leaders. "The (military) council has galo — better known as
after months of mass pro- towns. In a phone interview with lost its political as well as its Hemedti — was "conspicu-
tests, but has resisted the The African Union, based in Saudi-owned satellite ethical legitimacy and we ously absent" in photos
protesters' demands for Ethiopia, suspended Sudan channel al-Arabiya, protest cannot deal with it, but we shared by the Ethiopian
an immediate handover on Thursday and threat- leader Gaafar Hassan de- call for its ouster," he said. prime minister's office, ac-
of power to civilians. On ened "punitive sanctions" if clined to discuss the meet- There was no immediate cording to Rashid Abdi,
Monday, security forces vi- the military doesn't quickly ing in detail, saying a news comment from the military a former project director
olently dispersed the main relinquish power. conference would be held council or the Ethiopian with the International Crisis
sit-in outside the military Abiy met Friday with Gen. later, but ruled out any "di- prime minister. Group.q

Protests in Albania: Its democracy and EU future at stake

By LLAZAR SEMINI peatedly called for an un- "In democracy there are no
Associated Press conditional dialogue, say- elections without the oppo-
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Al- ing protests have hurt the sition. There is no democra-
bania's opposition parties country's image. cy without pluralism," Basha
hold their latest anti-gov- Protests in the past have said in an emailed interview
ernment protest Saturday turned hostile, with op- with The Associated Press.
with a strong likelihood that position supporters show- "Prime Minister Rama has
it will turn violent, dealing ering police officers with under his control all powers:
another blow to the coun- firebombs while police re- executive, legislative and
try's shrinking hopes that sponded with tear gas. In- justice. He has the big me-
the European Union will juries have been reported dia and the business under
agree to launch full mem- on both sides and scores his control," Basha added.
bership negotiations with of protesters have been ar- Aleksander Cipa, an inde-
the ex-communist nation. rested or charged with vio- pendent analyst, says the
Some 10,000 people are lent attacks. opposition's main goal is Α protester gestures in front of a police formation guarding Prime
expected at the protest in Basha has vowed to con- "existential." Minister's office, in Tirana, Sunday June 2, 2019.
Tirana that will demand the tinue, however, saying the "Investing in an aggressive Associated Press
appointment of a transi- protests do not "differ from protest and the corrosive
tional Cabinet, followed by those in France, Italy or oth- acts against the prime min- lence in protests. The op- In the end, irregular munici-
an early election. er Western countries." ister is the only possibility for position has hardly heeded pal elections or violence
The center-right opposition Opposition lawmakers the opposition's further exis- the call. would be another tool in
led by Lulzim Basha has have also relinquished tence," he said. In late June Brussels de- the hands of hard-liners
been holding protests since their seats in Parliament The United States, the Eu- cides whether to launch in the EU member coun-
mid-February, accusing the — where the government ropean Union and interna- full membership nego- tries trying to prevent the
leftist government of links to holds a comfortable ma- tional organizations have tiations with Albania. More launch of membership ne-
organized crime and vote jority — and the opposition denounced the opposition violence would be "a retro- gotiations with Albania.
rigging. is boycotting the June 30 for relinquishing its parlia- grade act threatening the Albania would miss another
The government denies all municipal elections and mentary seats, repeatedly country's expected positive train toward Europe, not for
the claims. Socialist Prime is threatening to prevent calling on them to sit down answer from the EU," Cipa the first time since the end
Minister Edi Rama has re- them taking place. for talks and to avoid vio- said. of Communism.q