Sudan's ruling military council and main opposition alliance have agreed on a 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 (AFC), 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.

The announcement prompted celebrations on the streets of Sudan's capital Khartoum. Demonstrators waved the national flag, chanting "Civilian! Civilian!" while drivers honked their horns.

The women of Sudan's protests The returnee Khadija Saleh lived abroad for six years before she returned to her homeland in March to take part in the anti-Bashir protests. "I came back from a safer place because I want a better future for this country," the 41-year-old said.

The women of Sudan's protests The activist On June 3, security forces violently disbanded a protest camp near the Ministry of Defense in Khartoum. Nahid Gabralla, 53, was beaten and threatened with rape. "My daughter deserves to live in a nice country... we will fight for a democratic Sudan, real change and for our rights"

The women of Sudan's protests The adviser Hadia Hasaballah works for an NGO that takes care of the victims of the June 3 crackdown. Witnesses and activists reported that women were sexually abused during the operation. The government has not confirmed the reports. "None of the Sudanese women will officially say that they were raped because of the stigma," Hasaballah said.

The women of Sudan's protests The silent fighter Under al-Bashir's rule, women were forced to adhere to strict codes of conduct. They could be arrested if they wore trousers. Mahi Aba-Yazid wore trousers while she took part in the protests at the camp on June 3. She too was beaten by security forces. The 35-year-old believes that her choice of clothing has had more of an impact than her engagement.

The women of Sudan's protests The self-determined student "I don't want to wear headscarf, but it is not my choice. I want my right to wear what I want," says Duha Mohmed. The 23-year-old student explains one of the reasons she took part in the protests.

The women of Sudan's protests The optimist Nagda Mansour sat for 75 days in a prison because she took part in a demonstration in December. The 39-year-old translator has a problem with accepting the idea of negotiating with the military because of its role in the war in Darfur. The agreement protesters have made to share power with the military is in her eyes only "the beginning, not the end."

The women of Sudan's protests The mother Manal Farah, 49, begged her son not to take part in the protests because she feared the violence. The 22-year-old student was killed on June 3. "When he started in university he started to ask why there is corruption in Sudan. He said there must be a change, a new Sudan ... I pray for my son's dreams to come true," she said. Author: Sabine Faber (with Reuters)



Areas of contention

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.

The constitutional declaration empowers the AFC to name the prime minister, giving the coalition two-thirds of the seats in Sudan's Legislative Council, Ibtisam Senhoury, a member of the technical committee that drew up the declaration, said on Saturday.

The remaining third will be taken up by lawmakers nominated by the sovereign council and other political stakeholders, Senhoury said in a press briefing.

As part of the agreement, the military will select the interior and defense ministers, while the head of the judiciary will be selected by the prime minister and the sovereign council, Senhoury said. These positions will be filled as negotiations between the military and civilian leaders continue.

But areas of contention between the civilian and military sides remain, particularly with regard to 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.

sri,cw/cmk (AFP, Reuters, dpa)

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