This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Sudan’s powerful generals and opposition leaders have agreed in principle to the formation of joint civilian-military council to lead the country’s political transition following three decades of autocratic rule by former president Omar al-Bashir.

However, in the latest evidence of the sharp challenges facing Sudan, the two sides failed to agree on how big a role the generals would have on the new council.

The two sides met as the huge protest sit-in continued in the centre of Khartoum outside the military headquarters, where activists committed to remain until there is civilian rule.

A 10-man transitional military council, led by Lt Gen Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, was established after the military and security forces removed Bashir on 11 April.

The agreement in principle appears to be the latest concession by the military in the face of continuing street protests and follows the resignation last week of three controversial security figures from the military council.

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The tentative breakthrough came as thousands of protesters remained camped in front of the army headquarters in the capital, trying to force the military to hand over power.

After Saturday’s meeting, sources said that an agreement was reached in principle to form a joint civilian-military council, but not on the division of seats in the new body, with the military apparently insisting on a majority of seats.

Opposition negotiators are reportedly seeking a 15-strong council with eight seats held by civilian representatives and seven by the military. Another point of contention is for how long an interim period the council should exist, with the military favouring two years and the opposition proposing a four-year term.

“We agreed on a joint council between the civilian and the military,” said Ahmed al-Rabie one of the prominent figures in the protest movement’s coalition. “We are now in consultation about what percentage of the council should be represented by civilians and how much by the military.”

A spokesman for the Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change, Mohammad Naji al-Assam, outlined on Twitter the continuing point of disagreement.

“We in the Forces of Freedom and Change think the majority of the council should be formed by the civilians or that it should be a civilian council with a limited military representation. But our brothers in the military think it should be a military council with a limited civilian representation.

“We reached an initial deal that it should be a mixed council between the civilians and the military, and we started a discussion on the percentage of the civilians and the military,” he said.

The council will be the sovereign ruling body that will then form a transitional civilian administration.

The persistent sticking point over the role of the military comes amid fears the military and remnants of Bashir’s regime want to continue running the country.

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As protesters at the sit-in waited for news from the meeting, many held signs displaying their demands including one reading “civilian government or revolution for ever”.

On Saturday in the latest evidence of the febrile and anxious atmosphere, protesters clashed with members of the Popular Congress party in Khartoum, leaving dozens injured.

Western governments have expressed support for the protesters’ demands, but Sudan’s key Gulf lenders back the military council, while African states have called for more time for the army to hand over power to civilians.

Meanwhile, the country’s top opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi called for Sudan to join the international criminal court, which has indicted Bashir, 75, for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged role in the conflict in Darfur, charges he denies.

The protests started in mid-December over a deepening economic crisis, but quickly morphed into a sustained challenge against Bashir’s leadership. He is being held in a prison in Khartoum alongside other former officials.