Sudan’s army agrees deal with protesters on three-year transition

Sudan’s military leaders have reached an agreement with the country’s popular opposition movement for a three-year transition to a fully civilian administration after President Omar al-Bashir was toppled in a military coup last month following four months of demonstrations.

At a joint press conference in the early hours of Wednesday the military council said that a deal would be signed within 24 hours, which would include the formation of two ruling bodies — a sovereign council and a 300 member legislature — to run the country until elections are held.

“We agreed on a transitional period of three years,” Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta said, according to Al Jazeera. “We vow to our people that the agreement will be completed fully within 24 hours in a way that it meets the people’s aspirations.”

Two-thirds of the seats in the legislature would go to members of the opposition movement that spearheaded the protests, the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces, while the rest would be taken by groups not part of the alliance, Lt Gen Atta said.

The announcement came after at least four people were killed on Monday in new clashes between protesters and the security forces. Many in the protest movement remain suspicious of the military leaders, most of whom had loyally served President Bashir for decades.

Talks between the sides had previously stalled over the protesters’ demand that the transition is led by a civilian, a contentious point that is yet to be agreed.

Despite the new tone of co-operation, Lt Gen Atta did not say whether the sovereign council would be headed by military or civilian leaders.