SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AP – Sudanese say US pressure was key to reaching transition deal

8/7/19: AP – Sudanese say US pressure was key to reaching transition deal, by Samy Magdy

 AP reports that the power-sharing agreement reached between Sudan’s military and pro-democracy protesters last week came after the US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE applied intense pressure on both sides amid fears a prolonged crisis could tip the country into civil war, activists and officials said.

 The breakthrough for the agreement came during a secret meeting the day before the June 30 protests, when diplomats from the US, UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE pressed the two sides to accept proposals from the African Union and Ethiopia.

 Two anonymous Egyptian officials said the US ramped pressure on the Sudanese military, as well as its Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian allies.

 An anonymous Sudanese military official said: “[the US’] message was clear: power-sharing in return for guarantees that nobody from the council will be tried [for the June 3 massacre].”