The African Union (AU) has suspended Sudan days after the military launched a brutal crackdown on protesters that killed dozens of people.
The AU's Peace and Security Department said in a post on Twitter on Thursday that Sudan's participation in all AU activities would be suspended with immediate effect – "until the effective establishment of a civilian-led transitional authority" as the only way to "exit from the current crisis".
The announcement followed an emergency meeting by the AU after the violent dispersal of a protest camp in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, began on Monday.
At least 108 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded, according to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors. A health ministry official was quoted as saying the death toll stood at 61.
In response to the reports of killings, the AU Commission Chairman, Moussa Faki Mahamat, on Monday called for an "immediate and transparent investigation in order to hold all those responsible accountable".
The AU has met with some criticism over its response to the crisis, with political analyst Joseph Ochieno telling Al Jazeera before the announcement of the suspension was made that Thursday's emergency meeting was "coming rather late".
"Let's hope they will come out with a message to the junta in Khartoum that while they played in Darfur and got away with it, it is very unlikely that they will be doing so today," he said. / Source BBC