Sudan opposition rejects call for strike in sign of protest rift

The Sudanese Lt Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan visited Abu Dhabi on May 26

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed receives Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan. AP

Sudan's leading opposition party has refused a call by protest leaders for a two-day general strike in a sign that there may be divisions within the pro-democracy movement.

The umbrella protest movement, the Alliance for Freedom and Change, are in a deadlock with the army generals who seized power after ousting Omar Al-Bashir last month over whether a new governing body should be lead by a civilian or a soldier.

The protest movement called for a general strike starting on Tuesday in a bid to step up pressure on the generals, but the National Umma Party, a key backer of the movement, has now rejected the measure.

It comes a day after the leader of Sudan’s military council, Lt Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, met with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on a visit to the UAE.

The UAE's Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces said the Emirates would aid Sudan's efforts to preserve national security.

Sheikh Mohammed said he was confident in Sudan's ability to overcome the struggles of transition and move forward as a united country. He also "stressed the importance of dialogue between the Sudanese people in this sensitive phase," according to the UAE's state news agency Wam.

Lt Gen Al Burhan's deputy general also visited Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, which came on the heels of a trip to Egypt to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

The unrest that eventually deposed longtime ruler Omar Al Bashir last month was initially spurred by the skyrocketing prices of basic goods. The protests have continued since he was ousted, with uncertainty about an agreement between protesters and the military on the political transition.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, an integral member of a co-alition of pro-democracy opposition groups, and the military have agreed on the formation of a 300-person parliament.

The representation of both groups in the parliament has yet to be decided and has been central to talks held since early April.