Sudan: Military, opposition agree on new ruling council

By Adel Abdelrheem Humaida Elfadol, Gulsen Topcu and Omer Erdem

KHARTOUM

Sudan’s ruling military council and opposition alliance reached an agreement to form a new body to run the country until the next election.

The agreement was reached during a meeting on Saturday between the ruling Military Transitional Council (MTC) and the Declaration of Freedom and Changes Forces, an umbrella organization of opposition groups.

An opposition figure told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity that the new council would include civilians and military officials to manage the transitional period.

After ousting President Omar al-Bashir on April 11 following months of popular demonstrations against his 30-year rule, the MTC is now overseeing a two-year “transitional period” during which it has pledged to hold presidential elections.

The opposition groups and protesters, however, have continued to stage large demonstrations to demand that the ruling military council hand over power to a civilian administration.

Protesters on Saturday busted a meeting of Popular Congress Party of late opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi and left 65 party members injured in capital Khartoum.

Meanwhile, Sudanese opposition has rejected an African Union move to give the ruling military council a three-month deadline for handing power over to a civil administration.

“Sudanese don’t need the recommendation of African Union,” said Sadiq al-Mahdi, head of the National Umma Party.

Speaking in a press conference in Khartoum, al-Mahdi called on MTC “to act with wisdom, not tension.”

“We hope that the civilian authority in the transition period will organize national, economic and international conferences”, he added.

Al-Mahdi stressed that the transitional period must be followed by free elections.

* Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur