An opposition alliance in Sudan said on Sunday that the Transitional Military Council has “excluded” political parties by negotiating with the Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change (FFC) only, and not with other opposition groups. Ali Al-Hajj of the Coordination of National Forces told a press conference that his alliance had informed the head of the TMC, Abdul Fattah Al-Burhan, that they reject the agreement.
Al-Hajj, who serves as secretary-general of the Popular Congress Party, called on the FFC to negotiate with the parties directly, and exclude the military from the political scene. He added that the parties were meeting on Monday to discuss the deal.
On Friday morning, the FFC and the TMC, which has been ruling the country since the ousting of President Omar Al-Bashir in April, announced a power-sharing agreement for a transitional period leading to elections. The agreement, brokered by Ethiopia and the African Union, includes the establishment of a sovereign council that will lead a transitional period for three years and three months.
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The council is to consist of five members from the military and five civilians, as well as an additional civilian member that the two sides can agree on, making 11 members in total. A military member will preside over the council for the first 21 months, and will then be replaced by a civilian member until the end of the transitional period after a further 18 months.
The two sides also agreed on the formation of an independent technocratic government, and on the launch of an independent, transparent investigation into the violence that erupted against protesters in recent weeks. They also agreed to postpone the establishment of a legislative council until the sovereign council and the civil government are established.
Since April’s ouster, Sudan has been witnessing turmoil and a violent crackdown on peaceful protesters, which saw a number of people killed.