Sudan opposition warns Arab countries against interference
CAIRO (Reuters) - One of Sudan's main protest groups, the Democratic Alliance of Lawyers, on Tuesday urged "some Arab countries" not to interfere in Sudanese affairs and to drop their support for the ruling military council.
The alliance's comments appeared to be aimed at Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, who analysts say are trying to consolidate their influence in Sudan following the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April.
"We ask that some Arab countries lift their hands from Sudan and to stop supporting the Military Council and consolidating the pillars of its rule with the aim of preserving it and protecting their own interests that are harmful to the Sudanese state and its citizens," said the alliance, which is part of the Sudanese Professionals' Association.
It also called on foreign governments to take a stand on the security forces' raid on a protest camp in Khartoum on Monday in which 35 people were reported to have been killed. They had been exercising their right to peaceful protest, it said.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia between them pledged $3 billion in financial and material support to Sudan in late April.
Transitional Military Council Head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo have ties to the two Gulf states through the participation of Sudanese troops in the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen's civil war.
Burhan visited the UAE and Egypt last month and Dagalo, visited Saudi Arabia in May.
(Reporting by Yousef Saba; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
