Sudan talks resume after deadly shootings

Protest leaders resumed talks with Sudan’s military rulers yesterday seeking to build on a political breakthrough overshadowed by deadly shootings at a long-running protest sit-in outside army headquarters.

The protest movement is demanding a civilian-led transition after 30 years of ironfisted rule by president Omar al-Bashir but the generals who toppled him have been pushing for a continuing leadership role.

An army major and five protesters were killed by unidentified gunmen at the Khartoum sit-in late on Monday just hours after the two sides announced they had reached agreement on the structure and powers of the bodies that will oversee the transition.

The Alliance for Freedom and Change—the protest movement umbrella group that has been negotiating with the military council—said the shootings were an attempt to “disturb the breakthrough” and blamed militias still loyal to Bashir’s regime.

The military council said that it had “noticed some armed infiltrators among the protesters” at the sit-in, but did not specify who they were.

Protest leaders resumed their talks with military council representatives in early afternoon, one of the protest leaders told AFP.

They were expected to discuss the all-important composition of the transitional bodies.

The protest movement has been demanding that they be led by civilians and have civilian majorities with military representation.

The military is ready to accept a mainly civilian cabinet but has been demanding a military majority in a proposed sovereign council that will have the final say in matters of state.

Also on agenda is the duration of the transition, with the military calling for a two-year timeframe while the protesters want four years to allow time for the array of preparatory reforms they say are necessary.

The renewed talks between the two sides that opened on Monday come after a break in negotiations that saw protest leaders threaten “escalatory measures” to secure their central demand of civilian rule.

 

Sudan talks resume after deadly shootings

Protest leaders resumed talks with Sudans military rulers yesterday seeking to build on a political breakthrough overshadowed by deadly shootings at a long-running protest sit-in outside army headquarters. The protest movement is demanding a civilian-led transition after 30 years of ironfisted rule by president Omar al-Bashir but the generals who toppled him have been pushing for a continuing leadership role. An army major and five protesters were killed by unidentified gunmen at the Khartoum sit-in late on Monday just hours after the two sides announced they had reached agreement on the structure and powers of the bodies that will oversee the transition. The Alliance for Freedom and Changethe protest movement umbrella group that has been negotiating with the military councilsaid the shootings were an attempt to disturb the breakthrough and blamed militias still loyal to Bashirs regime. The military council said that it had noticed some armed infiltrators among the protesters at the sit-in, but did not specify who they were. Protest leaders resumed their talks with military council representatives in early afternoon, one of the protest leaders told AFP. They were expected to discuss the all-important composition of the transitional bodies. The protest movement has been demanding that they be led by civilians and have civilian majorities with military representation. The military is ready to accept a mainly civilian cabinet but has been demanding a military majority in a proposed sovereign council that will have the final say in matters of state. Also on agenda is the duration of the transition, with the military calling for a two-year timeframe while the protesters want four years to allow time for the array of preparatory reforms they say are necessary. The renewed talks between the two sides that opened on Monday come after a break in negotiations that saw protest leaders threaten escalatory measures to secure their central demand of civilian rule.