Sudan army officer says deal reached with opposition for three-year transition
Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) opposition alliance have agreed on a three-year transition to a full civilian government, a TMC officer said at a joint news conference.
Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta said late on Tuesday that during the transition period, the DFCF will have two-thirds of the seats on a legislative council and parties that are not part of the alliance will take the rest.
The TMC, which took power following the ouster of longtime Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir last month, and the DFCF will sign a final, power-sharing agreement within 24 hours, Atta told reporters.
That deal will include the formation of Sudan's next ruling body, dubbed the Sovereign Council.
"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," Atta said.
Satea al-Hajj, a DFCF member, echoed Atta's hope that a deal would be reached soon.
"The viewpoints are close and, God willing, we will reach an agreement soon" on the composition of the Sovereign Council, al-Hajj said.
Sudan has been rocked by widespread protests since December, when people took to streets across the country to demand Bashir's resignation.
The now-former president, who ruled over Sudan for three decades, was deposed in a military coup on 11 April.
Probe into violence against protesters
Scores of protesters have been killed in the ongoing demonstrations, including six who died on Monday when live ammunition was fired at a major protest sit-in across from Sudan's military headquarters in Khartoum.
Dozens of protesters were also injured in the violence late on Monday.
On Tuesday, DFCF member Madani Abbas Madani said the opposition group and the TMC had agreed to form a joint commitee to investigate the targeting of protesters.
It remains unclear who was behind the shootings on Monday in the Sudanese capital.
MEE reported that a group of uniformed gunmen suddenly attacked the peaceful sit-in, where for more than a month demonstrators have demanded that Sudan's military leaders hand power to civilians.
The protesters have blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary led by the ruling military council's deputy leader Mohammed Hamdan, known as Hemeti, whose uniforms were worn by the gunmen.
In an overnight press conference delivered by the TMC, the RSF denied any involvement, however.
Instead, the TMC accused "lurking groups" of carrying out the attack to derail talks with the protest leaders.
The shootings came amid heightened tensions in Khartoum amid the ongoing negotiations over the country's political transition.
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