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Sudan military council excludes al-Bashir’s party from government formation

April 16, 2019 at 4:30 am

Thousands of Sudanese demonstrators continue demonstrations outside the military headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan on 11 April 2019. [Ömer Erdem – Anadolu Agency]

Sudan’s Transitional Military Council has announced that the National Congress Party (NCP) led by ousted President, Omar al-Bashir will not participate in the upcoming transitional government formation.

The Council called on the Sudanese political forces to present their vision for the transitional period within a week.

The Council met on Saturday with representatives of the Sudanese political parties and movements behind nearly four months of anti-government protests.

Prior to the meeting the Council announced the abolition of laws restricting freedoms and allowed the media to operate without restrictions.

Read: Sudan protesters demand civilian rule, military council says ready to comply

The Sudanese Professionals’ Association (SPA) which has spearheaded the anti-government protests called on the Military Council to immediately hand over power to a consensus civilian government during the transitional period with a civilian transitional council, under the protection of the armed forces.

The Association vowed to continue the sit-in outside the military complex until the achievement of the popular movement demands.

Meanwhile, an official spokesman of the Transitional Military Council in Sudan, Lieutenant General Shamseddine Ibrahim, ruled out using force to break the sit-in in front of the army complex, stressing the Council’s keenness to preserve the civilians’ safety.