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Sudan’s military council, opposition reach power-sharing agreement

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Sudan’s ruling military council and a coalition of opposition and protest groups have agreed to share power for three years and then hold elections, in a deal that brought thousands of people onto the streets to celebrate.

The deal has revived hopes for a peaceful transition of power in a nation plagued by internal conflicts and a deepening economic crisis in the wake of nearly three decades of rule by Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in April.

Relations between the military council that took over from Bashir and protest groups broke down when security forces killed dozens of people holding a sit-in on June 3.

But African mediators brokered a return to direct talks following huge protests against the military on Sunday.

After a second straight day of discussions, the two sides agreed in the early hours of Friday to establish a sovereign council by rotation between the military and civilians for a period of three years or slightly more,” African Union mediator Mohamed Hassan Lebatt told reporters.

The first 21 months will be led by the military and the final 18 months by civilians, according to a statement from the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which has spearheaded the protests.

 

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