ADDIS ABABA, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and head of the Sudanese Transitional Military Council (TMC), Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, have expressed their mutual optimism regarding the normalization of the ongoing political uncertainties in Sudan.
Ahmed and al-Burhan revealed their common optimism during their discussion in a phone call late Monday, according to a statement issued by the Ethiopian Prime Minister's Office.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke on the phone with Sudan's TMC Head on mediation progress to bring peace and stability to Sudan, a statement issued by the Ethiopian PM's Office read.
The two leaders' discussion highlighted the way forward on currently pressing issues. Both expressed hope that the current situation will be positively remedied, the statement read.
The latest discussion among Ahmed and al-Burhan came soon after the Ethiopian premier's visit to Ethiopia's neighboring nation Sudan on Friday, where he met with representatives of the Transitional Military Council as well as various other high-profile individuals.
Ahmed, who is also the current Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, during his visit to Sudan, had held discussions with members of the Forces for Freedom and Change as part of mediation efforts underway, according to the Ethiopian PM's Office.
The Ethiopian PM also reiterated "Ethiopia's commitment to fostering peace in the region and underlined that unity is a prerequisite for restoring peace in Sudan," the office had said.
Ahmed's visit to the politically unstable Sudan had been also welcomed by the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, for his effort to bring the politically disputed Sudanese parties to negotiations.
"The Chairperson welcomes the visit to Khartoum by Ethiopia's Prime Minister and current Chairman of IGAD, Abiy Ahmed, and the constructive meetings he held with the parties in the crisis in Sudan on Friday," an AU statement issued on Saturday read.
