Sudan's ruling military council and main opposition alliance have agreed on a constitutional declaration to pave the way for a transitional government, the African Union said early Saturday.

The agreement came after months of negotiations between the military council and the Alliance for Freedom and Change, which has led a countrywide protest movement.

"I am announcing to the Sudanese, African and international public opinion that the two delegations have fully agreed on the constitutional declaration," Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt, the African Union mediator, told reporters.

Lebatt said talks would resume on Saturday about a formal signing ceremony. No immediate details of the agreement were available.

The final agreement is meant to usher in a joint military-civilian body to rule the country for three years following the ouster of longtime strongman President Omar al-Bashir in April.

The generals and opposition had previously agreed to form a sovereign council composed of 11 members, five from the military and five from the opposition, plus one additional civilian agreed to by both sides.

Other areas of contention have included establishing control over the General Intelligence Service and the Rapid Support Forces, the country's most powerful paramilitary group.

The opposition has accused the two security forces of killing protesters, and has demanded that those responsible be held to account.

Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's military council and its main opposition coalition have agreed a constitutional declaration to usher in a new period of transitional government, African Union mediator for Sudan Mohamed Hassan Lebatt told a news conference in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The document, which outlines the powers and the relationship between the branches of the transitional government, comes after weeks of protracted negotiations brokered by the African Union and neighbouring Ethiopia amid sporadic bouts of violence in the capital Khartoum and other cities.

Lebatt said that the delegations will continue talks on Saturday over the technical details of the signature procedures but did not elaborate further on the contents of the declaration.

Sudan's stability is crucial for the security of a volatile region stretching from the Horn of Africa to Libya that is riven by conflict and power struggles.

This final agreement is meant to pave the way to a political transition after military leaders ousted former President Omar al-Bashir in April following months of protests against his rule.

Two key points of contention had been the role of Sudan's General Intelligence Service and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country's most powerful paramilitary group.

According to a draft of the declaration seen by Reuters, the intelligence service will report to the cabinet and the sovereign council, the body that will rule the country in the transitional period, while the RSF will fall under the general command of the armed forces.

The sides had previously agreed that the sovereign council will be comprised of 11 members — five officers selected by the military council, five civilians chosen by the FFC and another civilian to be agreed upon by both sides. Its first leader will be from the military.

When the sovereign council is formed, the country's current ruling body, a transitional military council headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, will be dissolved.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. </s> KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's military council and its main opposition coalition have agreed a constitutional declaration to usher in a new period of transitional government, African Union mediator for Sudan Mohamed Hassan Lebatt told a news conference in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Lebatt said that the delegations will continue talks on Saturday over the technical details of the signature procedures but did not elaborate further on the contents of the declaration.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. </s> Sudan’s military council and the main opposition coalition have reached an agreement to usher in a new period of transitional government, African Union mediator for Sudan Mohamed Hassan Lebatt told a news conference in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The document, which outlines the powers and the relationships between the branches of the transitional government, comes after weeks of protracted negotiations brokered by the African Union and neighbouring Ethiopia amid sporadic bouts of violence in the capital Khartoum and other cities.

Sudan has been in a state of political turmoil since the army ousted veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April, with dozens of demonstrators killed during street protests.

As news of the agreement emerged, people began gathering on Nile Street, a main avenue in the capital Khartoum, honking car horns and ululating in celebration.

“We’re victorious!” some people chanted while others sang the national anthem.

Lebatt said that representatives from both sides - civilian pro-democracy groups and the military - will continue talks on Saturday over the technical details of the accord.

Legal and technical teams still need to establish a timeline for the declaration to come into effect and for the transitional government to be appointed.

Once the transitional government starts work, Sudan embarks on a three-year transition period expected lead to elections.

Sudan’s stability is crucial for the security of a volatile region stretching from the Horn of Africa to Libya that is riven by conflict and power struggles.

Two key points of contention had been the role of Sudan’s General Intelligence Service and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country’s most powerful paramilitary group.

According to a draft of the declaration seen by Reuters, the intelligence service will report to the cabinet and the sovereign council, the body that will rule the country in the transitional period, while the RSF will fall under the general command of the armed forces.

The sides had previously agreed that the sovereign council will be comprised of 11 members – five officers selected by the military council, five civilians chosen by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition and another civilian to be agreed upon by both sides. Its first leader will be from the military.

When the sovereign council is formed, the country’s current ruling body, a transitional military council headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, will be dissolved.

A top priority for the transitional government during its first six months in power will be working towards peace with a number of armed groups active in the southern and western regions of the country, Satea al-Hajj, an FFC negotiator, said on Saturday.

Three of those armed groups are members of the FFC under the umbrella of the Revolutionary Front. –Reuters </s> Sudan’s ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the main opposition coalition have reached an agreement to usher in a new period of a transitional government, the African Union (AU) said.

Mohamed Hassan Lebatt, the AU mediator for Sudan, said representatives from both sides – civilian pro-democracy groups and the military – will continue talks on Saturday over the technical details of the deal.

“I am announcing to the Sudanese, African and international public opinion that the two delegations have fully agreed on the constitutional declaration,” Lebatt told a news conference in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The document, which outlines the powers and the relationships between the branches of the transitional government, comes after weeks of protracted negotiations brokered by the AU and neighbouring Ethiopia amid sporadic bouts of violence in the capital Khartoum and other cities.

Sudan has been in a state of political turmoil since the army removed veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April, with dozens of demonstrators killed during street protests.

As news of the agreement emerged, people began gathering on Nile Street, the main avenue in the capital Khartoum, honking car horns and ululating in celebration.

“We have been waiting for a civilian state to seek fair retribution from the murderers of our sons,” one protester Somaiya Sadeq told AFP news agency.

“We’re victorious!” some people chanted while others sang the national anthem.

Legal and technical teams still need to establish a timeline for the declaration to come into effect and for the transitional government to be appointed.

Once the transitional government starts work, Sudan embarks on a three-year transition period expected to lead to elections.

Two key points of contention had been the role of Sudan’s General Intelligence Service and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country’s most powerful paramilitary group.

According to a draft of the declaration seen by Reuters news agency, the intelligence service will report to the cabinet and the sovereign council, the body that will rule the country in the transitional period, while the RSF will fall under the general command of the armed forces.

The sides had previously agreed that the sovereign council will comprise 11 members – five officers selected by the TMC, five civilians chosen by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition and another civilian to be agreed upon by both sides. Its first leader will be from the military.

When the sovereign council is formed, the TMC, headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, will be dissolved.

The FFC alliance is expected to hold a press conference at 08:00 GMT to explain the details of the deal. </s> After months of political turmoil, Sudan’s ruling generals and protest leaders have reached a “full agreement” on a constitutional declaration paving the way for a transition to civilian rule.

The document, which sits alongside the power-sharing deal signed on July 17, aims to form a combined civilian-military ruling body to oversee the formation of a transitional civilian government and parliament.

The transitional government is then to govern for a three-year transition period, the African Union said on Saturday.

This deal comes after prolonged negotiations between Sudan’s ruling military council and leaders of the protest movement that toppled veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April.

“I am announcing to the Sudanese, African and international public opinion that the two delegations have fully agreed on the constitutional declaration,”… </s> Sudan military council and opposition agree new deal for transitional government

Sudan military council and opposition agree new deal for transitional government

The agreement comes after months of protests. File pic

Sudan's military council and the main opposition coalition have reached an agreement for a new period of transitional government.

It comes after the country's leader Omar al-Bashir was ousted by the army in April, sparking months of political turmoil and protests in the African nation.

African Union mediator for Sudan. Mohamed Hassan Lebatt. said representatives from the military and the civilian pro-democracy groups will continue talks during the weekend.

Among the details still to be finalised are the members of the transitional government and a timeline for the installation of the government.

It had already been agreed the group will be comprised of 11 members - five officers selected by the military council, five civilians chosen by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition and another civilian to be agreed upon by both sides. Its first leader will be from the military.

Once the government is installed, the country will begin a three-year path to elections.

News of the deal, which was brokered after weeks of talks run by the African Union and neighbouring Ethiopia, was greeted with joy on the streets of the capital Khartoum.

People sounded their car horns and sang the national anthem, with some chanting: "We're victorious".

Mr al Bashir faces charges of corruption and possession of foreign currency.

Since he was overthrown, there has been a transitional military council in power.

Talks aimed at moving to civilian rule had been deadlocked for weeks, with the generals wanting overall control during the interim period but demonstrators wanting limited military representation.

A preliminary deal was signed last month, but at least four student protesters were killed earlier this week, delaying talks. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption Celebrations began overnight and carried on into Saturday morning

Sudan's ruling military council and main opposition coalition have agreed on a constitutional declaration which will pave the way for a new period of transitional government.

African Union mediator Mohamed Hassan Lebatt made the announcement early on Saturday, without giving any details.

Sudan has been in turmoil since the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir in April.

Protracted talks over the declaration have been held amid much violence.

The long-awaited declaration deal triggered celebrations in Sudan, which has been plunged into months of crisis.

Both sides signed a power-sharing accord in July, but demonstrators have been waiting since then for more details about the agreement.

Protests first broke out in December after Mr Bashir's government imposed emergency austerity measures. He was then overthrown by the military in April after prolonged protests outside the defence ministry in Khartoum.

Image copyright EPA Image caption There have been protests on the streets of Sudan for months

Demonstrators have since called for authority to be transferred to a civilian administration.

What does the declaration say?

The document outlines the terms of a three-year transitional period agreed last month by the military council and opposition leaders.

The power-sharing deal envisages a governing body of six civilians and five generals.

"I am announcing to the Sudanese, African and international public opinion that the two delegations have fully agreed on the constitutional declaration," Mr Lebatt told reporters on Saturday.

He said further meetings would be held to work out the technical details of the signing ceremony, but did not provide any information about the agreement itself.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Sudan crisis: Schoolchildren fired on during protests

A draft of the declaration seen by Reuters news agency said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been accused of killing protesters, will now fall under the general command of the armed forces, and the intelligence service will be co-supervised by the sovereign council and the cabinet.

The deal on the declaration came after the military council announced that nine RSF soldiers had been dismissed and detained in connection with the killing of protesters, including four schoolchildren, this week.

The deaths had prompted mass demonstrations across the country and caused delays in the talks.

What do we know about the transition period?

The military and protesters have reached several agreements, with each side fleshing out new details as they try to overcome suspicion and build a working relationship.

They have so far agreed on the following:

Power-sharing will last for 39 months

A sovereign council, cabinet and legislative body will be formed

A general will head the council for the first 21 months, a civilian for the remaining 18

A prime minister, nominated by the pro-democracy movement, will head the cabinet

The ministers of defence and interior will be chosen by the military.

The long transition period is seen as a victory for the pro-democracy movement - the generals had threatened a snap election after the 3 June crackdown.

Demonstrators argue that Mr Bashir's regime is so deeply entrenched that it will take time to dismantle its political network and open the way for free and fair elections. </s> Sudan's ruling military council and leaders of its civilian opposition movement announced a preliminary power-sharing deal Friday, marking an end to a months-long stalemate and raising hopes that deadly unrest since former President Omar al-Bashir's ouster could culminate in democratic rule.

"Today our revolution is triumphant," the Sudanese Professionals Association, which led the protests that took down Bashir in April, said in a statement posted to social media. "We will continue to accomplish the goals of the revolution."

The deal calls for a joint sovereign council that will lead Sudan during a transition period of three years and three months, according to the SPA.

The 11-member council will consist of five soldiers and five civilians, with a sixth civilian chosen by both sides. It will have a rotational presidency: A military leader will preside over the council for 21 months, followed by a civilian leader for 18 months. Elections would then be held.

"This agreement will be comprehensive and will not exclude anyone," said Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy head of the Transitional Military Council, Reuters reports.

The African Union and Ethiopia helped broker the deal during two days of talks in Khartoum. Negotiators are set to come together this weekend to hammer out a final version.

"The devil will be in the detail of any deal – but we hope this marks a step towards an end of the horrific crimes that have been committed against the people of Sudan for decades," Kumi Naidoo, secretary general of Amnesty International, said in a statement. "This agreement must be judged by how those in power now live up to their responsibilities to respect people's fundamental rights — something the Sudanese people have been deprived of for well over three decades.

As word of the deal spread Friday, hundreds of Sudanese took to the streets in celebration, beating drums, singing and waving the national flag.

But while both sides hailed the agreement, many people remained skeptical. "Of course there is a lack of trust between the people of Sudan, of the opposition, when it comes to the military," Halima Gikandi reports for NPR.

The Transitional Military Council took control of the country soon after Bashir was deposed, announcing it would rule for two years before democratic elections could take place. Protesters and opposition leaders balked and demanded an immediate transfer of power to a transitional civilian government.

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters camped outside military headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, as opposition leaders engaged in negotiations with the military. But talks collapsed early last month after Sudanese security forces opened fire on demonstrators, killing dozens of people.

Protesters maintained their call for civilian rule by launching a civil disobedience campaign that brought Khartoum to a standstill and by continuing to hold mass demonstrations, even as they were met by violence.

In all, protesters say the military crackdown left more than 100 people dead.

The SPA says the military has agreed to a national independent investigation into the protester deaths. Despite distrust of the military, opposition leaders see the power-sharing deal as the only viable pathway to a functional government that can address the concerns of the people, Gikandi reports.

"Our people are wounded, our wounds will heal," the Sudanese Professionals Association said in Friday's statement.
The African Union announces the Sudanese military council and the opposition agreed to a constitutional declaration that will pave the way to a new transitional government. It calls for the new government to be headed by six civilians and five generals, and formally places the Rapid Support Forces under military command.