It is now hoped the agreement that will lead to elections three years from now will be inked tomorrow.

Before the power-sharing deal mediated by African Union and Ethiopian leaders could  be signed on Saturday, the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change asked for more time to consult with the generals who overthrew President Omar Al Bashir in April.

Before these talks could start on Sunday, the feared Rapid Support Forces , formerly known as the janjaweed,  shot dead a protestor in the south east Sinnar state.

The civilian umbrella group is now saying it will be at least Tuesday before they can move any further. 

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More than 100 people were killed by the former janjaweed militia who dumped dozens of bodies in the Nile.

The BBC used video from more than 300 people who filmed the massacre on their mobile phones.

This was backed by evidence from soldiers involved in the crackdown on the months-long sit in outside military headquarters in Khartoum.

They say they were ordered to carry out the pre-planned attack on the demonstrators.

The Transitional Military Council, which has since entered into a power-sharing deal with the pro-democracy civilians, has yet to comment on the BBC findings. 

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An audience increasing in number and enthusiasm is waiting for the resumption of negotiations on the future governance of Sudan.

The most involved and therefore the most passionate are the Sudanese themselves.

They are divided between civilians seeking complete change from the 30-year regime of ousted President Omar Al Bashir and the military desperately trying to maintain the status quo by clinging to power at any cost.

The African continent is deeply immersed in the future of its second largest member.

The African Union has taken the unprecedented step of suspending Sudan under its current military junta because of the June 3 slaying of at least 118 unarmed pro-democracy activists.

The AU red card will be enforced until the Transitional Military Council hands power to a civilian led administration.

There is skepticism about  exactly what muscle the continental body can bring to bear on the generals.

However, there is no gainsaying that the AU has at last taken up the role it was designed to in 2002 when it replaced the cosy coterie of Organisation of African Unity  leaders who refused to criticize each other let alone interfere in their affairs.

The AU, following the genocide in Rwanda, determined that it would intervene to stop crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide and gross human rights violations.

The reluctance all too often to take decisive actions has undermined the credibility of the body.

Those concerned with human rights are hoping the AU has turned a corner by acting against the Khartoum junta.

When it seemed that the prospect for negotiations had died along with the demonstrators outside military headquarters in the Sudanese capital, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed flew in to offer his services as mediator.

Both military and civilian leaders accepted Ahmed who has built a considerable reputation by making peace with Eritrea and Somalia.

He left behind in Khartoum an official  Mahmoud Dirir who is the source of optimism about negotiations resuming.

Details are lacking, but Dirir does have undertakings from the Alliance for Freedom and Change and the Sudan Professionals Association to call off the general strike which has brought the economy of the country to a standstill this week.

He also has a promise from the generals to release political prisoners taken since the June 3 massacre.

These groups have a mountain to climb.

They have made virtually no progress in talks designed to agree on the composition of a transitional administration leading to elections.

Ahmed is expected back in Sudan this week to continue his face-to-face efforts.

He is understood to have proposed  15-person body consisting of eight civilians and seven soldiers.

The civilian groups have six pre-conditions for a resumption of talks:

The removal of soldiers from the streets of Khartoum and other Sudanese cities;

An international investigation into the June 3 killings;

The release of political detainees;

Restoration of the internet;

Press freedom; and 

The Transitional Military Council accepting responsibility for the attacks on protestors.

Also headed for Khartoum is the United States Assistant Secretary of State For Africa Tibor Nagy.

The U.S. holds a big stick over Sudan because if only recently removed it from the list of terror-sponsoring countries which attract American sanctions.

Nagy’s brief is to get an assurance from the military that it will not again attack demonstrators and to secure an atmosphere conducive for negotiations.

Activist film star George Clooney, who co-founded the watchdog called The Sentinel with former African Affairs Director at the U.S. National Security Council John  Prendergast, says Washington must use political and diplomatic weapons to give substance to Nagy’s mission.

Having been involved Darfur in the early 2000s, when it was the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet, Clooney is well versed in the iniquities of the Sudanese military and particularly its paramilitary terror group known as the janjaweed who now go by the more anodyne name of the Rapid Support Force.

The Sentinel is in the business of cutting off the financial stream to groups violating human rights and promoting violence in conflict zones like Darfur

Clooney says the U.S. Treasury must  issue an anti-money-laundering advisory to banks around the world to stop the illicit financial flows to human rights offenders and corrupt officials in  Sudan.

He points out that Washington has done this in Venezuela and Ukraine.

Using the 2016 Global Magnitsky Act, and eliciting the help of allies in Europe and Africa,  Clooney says the Trump Administration can ensure there are consequences for the military regime in Sudan and particularly the janjaweed.

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He says this will give muscle to calls for restraint by the military against civilian protestors made by Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Tibor Nagy who was in Khartoum yesterday.

George Clooney founded the watchdog group called The Sentry with former African Affairs director at the National Security Council John Prendergast.

He says they’re looking to ensure there are consequences for Sudan’s  military junta and the paramilitary janjaweed  they deployed a Darfur a decade ago and Khartoum today.

But he’s urging the US Treasury to issue an international anti money laundering advisory, like it did against Venezuela and Ukraine, to stop illicit financial flows from Sudan

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After an emergency meeting today the AU Peace and Security Council said Sudan would remain red-carded until the establishment of a civilian-led transitional authority which it says is the only to exit the current crisis.

The drastic step by the continental body comes shortly after South Africa expressed its concern at the killing in Sudan and urged the African Peace and Security Council to remain seized of the matter.

It means the Transitional Military Council set up after the general ousted President Omar Al Bashir has run out of road.

Sudan will remain shunned by the AU until the pro-democracy protestors are brought in.

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The civilian groups have rejected fresh calls from the Transitional Military Council for talks, saying the army cannot be trusted.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, which has been leading demonstrations for the military to hand power to civilian administration, demands that an international committee be set up to investigate what it is calling a massacre.

The generals say they will look into what the Rapid Support Force – formerly known as the Janjaweed – did to disperse demonstrators on Monday and punish anyone who’s crossed the line.

There’s growing international condemnation of the killing of unarmed protestors.

Saudi Arabia, that supported the military after the April coup that ousted President Omar Al Bashir, now says it is watching developments with concern.

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Eid Ul Fitr is a joyous holiday bringing celebrants out in their finery.

This year it has become a fearful stay-at-home event in Khartoum because the  the military has sought to strengthen its hand after ousting President Omar Al Bashir in a  coup two months ago by deploying  former janjaweed militants to brutally disperse pro-democracy protestors.

Talks between the junta and  civilian groups have broken down irretrievably after more 60 protestors were killed.

Russia and China have blocked a bid in the United Nations Security Council to condemn the violence.

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Since that onslaught that killed more than 60 people the Rapid Support Force, formerly known as the janjaweed, has spread out around the capital and twin-city Omdurman as the military digs in.

There has been increasing international condemnation of  Sudan’s military junta’s deadly clearing out of protestors.

Intent on enforcing their control after ousting President Omar Al Bashir in a coup nearly two months ago, the generals have scrapped agreements made with the pro-democracy  coalition aimed at getting a civilian administration in Sudan.

Clearing hundreds of wounded demonstrators out of the Royal Care Hospital shows what a heavy hand they have opted for.

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The pro-democracy democracy have cut all talks with the military following yesterday’s attack on protestors that left at least 35 people dead.

The military brass in Sudan showed its hand by deploying the rapid support troops, which have their roots in the deadly militia called the Janjaweed that terrorized Darfur, to break up the months-long sit in outside military headquarters in Khartoum.

The move has been condemned by the United Nations, the African Union and Western governments.

It has put paid to talks designed to introduce a civilian-led administration in Sudan by the end of this month to avoid the nation being red-carded by the AU.

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