Sudan military council, opposition reach power sharing agreement on the disputed issue of a new governing body on Friday to end the country’s months-long political crises. After the collapse of previous round of negotiations in May over who should lead the new ruling body, comes the land mark agreement.
Sudan was hit by a political crises since the army overthrew long time ruler Omar al-Bashir in April because of the widespread protests and demand to hand rule in to civilian hands. Tension increased between two sides when a raid on a protest camp outside the army headquarters in the capital killed dozens and wounded hundreds on June 3rd.
“The two sides agreed on establishing a sovereign council with a rotating military and civilian (presidency) for a period of three years or little more,” African Union mediator Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt told reporters.
Exact details of the body were not specified but prominent protest leader Ahmed al-Rabie told AFP told reporters it would consist of six civilians, including five from the protest movement, and five members of the military. A three year transition period has been proposed with the position of president to be held by military for first 21 months and civilians for the rest. Its unclear if both sides have signed to let military rule first but they have agreed to postpone the forming of a new transitional Parliament Before the collapse in May, generals and protest leaders agreed on forming a 300-member Parliament with two third of lawmakers from the protesters.
Lebatt said that both sides have now also “agreed to have a detailed, transparent, national, independent investigation into all the regrettable violent incidents that the country faced in recent weeks,” including the June 3 raid.
The two sides have agreed to set up a committee of lawyers to finalize the agreement within 48 hours.
