Sudan's ruling military council and an alliance of opposition groups on Wednesday signed the first of two documents as part of a power-sharing deal that activists hope will pave the way for democracy in the east African country.

The two sides inked the "Political Declaration" in Khartoum in front of African Union and Ethiopian mediators following overnight talks to iron out the final elements of the agreement. Sudan's deputy chief of the ruling military council, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, described it as a "historic moment."

Ibrahim al-Amin, a leader of the opposition Forces of Freedom and Change coalition, said: "Today, we completed the political declaration. For the constitutional document we will resume talks on Friday."

"We want a stable homeland, because we have suffered a great deal," the protest leader added. "We are ushering in a new era. The upcoming government will be a government of all Sudanese, for all citizens.

 We have suffered enough from the totalitarian dictatorial regime."

The military and the pro-democracy movement agreed on July 5 to a joint sovereign council that would rule Sudan until elections are organized in 2022.

A general is set to head the ruling body for the next 21 months, followed by a civilian for the remaining 18 months. The interim government will be comprised of six civilians and five military representatives.

Sudan has been in a state of flux since former President Omar al-Bashir was ousted in April in a military coup brought about after large-scale protests against his regime.

Earlier this month, dozens were killed during opposition rallies against the military council. The protests — dubbed Justice First — were a direct response to the military council using brutal force against civilian protesters in June.

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> Sudan's military council and an alliance of opposition groups have signed an initial political accord as part of a power-sharing deal that would lead to a civilian administration of the country. Live television reports showed the signing ceremony, in the presence of African mediators.

Representatives of the military, and Forces for Declaration of Freedom and Change, which represents the protesters, initialled a document called the "Political Declaration" after a marathon negotiating session overnight to iron out details of the agreement, decided earlier this month. It is one of two documents as part of the deal; the other, a constitutional declaration, is expected to be signed on Friday.

The deal has a joint Sovereign Council ruling the country for a little over three years while elections are organised. The opposition has been calling for a move to civilian rule since street protests prompted the military to oust president Omar al-Bashir in April.
• Hopes for civilian rule in Sudan after compromise deal

The military and protesters had found themselves in a deadlock, since security forces broke up a sit-in protest in Khartoum last month.

A major sticking point has been the granting of immunity to military rulers against possible prosecution for violence against protesters. Opposition groups accuse the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation linked to the military council, of being responsible for the death of more than 125 protesters.

The military council has confirmed at least 61 deaths and has blamed officers for the violence, promising to bring them to justice, but it denied that members of the military council were behind the violence. </s> Sudan's main opposition coalition and the ruling military council have formally signed a final power-sharing deal, paving the way for a transition to a civilian-led government.

The landmark agreement signed on Saturday in the capital Khartoum came after a long period of negotiations following the overthrow of longtime leader President Omar al-Bashir in the wake of mass protests.

The deal was inked between Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy chief of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), and Ahmed al-Rabie, who represented the Alliance for Freedom and Change umbrella group.

The ceremony was attended by heads of states, prime ministers and dignitaries from several countries, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.

What the deal means

The power-sharing deal creates a joint military and civilian sovereign council to rule for a little over three years until elections can be held.

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Under the agreement, a military leader would head the 11-member council for the first 21 months, followed by a civilian leader for the next 18. It would also establish a cabinet appointed by the activists and a legislative body.

Sudan's sovereign council would include TMC head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the deputy Dagalo and Lieutenant General Yasser Al-Atta, the TMC's spokesperson told Sky News Arabia.

Under a power-sharing agreement, the sovereign council would include five members selected by the TMC, five picked by the main opposition coalition, and one agreed upon by both sides.

The military's two remaining members would be named at a later time, Shams El Din Kabbashi said.

The deal also included the establishment of an independent investigation into the crackdown on protesters by the security forces.

In June, troops violently dispersed the protesters' main sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum, killing dozens of people and plunging the fragile transition into crisis.

Mixed reactions

Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, said there were mixed reactions to the agreement.

"People at the venue where the agreement [was] signed are excited, they were chanting even before this agreement was signed. They are saying that they finally have a civilian government," Morgan said.

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"But in the streets ... people say they are cautiously optimistic. They are worried that the military council may delay the implementation of some clauses, and therefore will hold on to power longer, or will find a way to push the civilians out of power, and will continue maintaining control of the government until elections are held," she added.

Meanwhile, thousands of people arrived on trains from Sudan's provinces to take part in the celebrations, which included a huge gathering in Khartoum's main gardens.



"We hope Sudan can move forward now, we want to be proud of our country," said Saida Khalifa, as she got off the train after an all-night ride from Atbara, the town where the protests started in December last year.



"The guns must go silent now and we must pull the country out of this mess to gain peace and freedom," she said.

Abdelwahab El-Affendi, a professor at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, called the deal "positive news" which "should be celebrated". But he said the civilian government would face major challenges ahead.

"People have been waiting for this moment for a long time. [And] they expect that the next morning, when the prime minister sits in office, things will change," El-Affendi said.

"Of course, that's not going to be the case simply because the demonstrations have also brought the state capacity down, the economy has been eroded, and the state's capacity to intervene has been reduced."

Sudanese protesters from the city of Atbara arrive at the Bahari station in Khartoum [Ahmed Mustafa / AFP]

After weeks of tense negotiations, Sudan's TMC and protest leaders reached a preliminary agreement earlier this month following international pressure and concerns that the political crisis could ignite civil war.

The constitutional declaration deal reached on August 4 brought an end to nearly eight months of upheaval that saw masses mobilise against al-Bashir, who was removed in April after 30 years in power.

The agreement, brokered by the African Union and Ethiopia, was welcomed with relief by both sides.

Protesters celebrated what they saw as the victory of their "revolution", while the generals took credit for averting a civil war. </s> Sudan's ruling military council and an alliance of opposition groups on Wednesday signed the first of two documents as part of a power-sharing deal that activists hope will pave the way for democracy in the east African country.

The two sides inked the "Political Declaration" in Khartoum in front of African Union and Ethiopian mediators following overnight talks to iron out the final elements of the agreement. Sudan's deputy chief of the ruling military council, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, described it as a "historic moment."

Ibrahim al-Amin, a leader of the opposition Forces of Freedom and Change coalition, said: "Today, we completed the political declaration. For the constitutional document we will resume talks on Friday."

Stability

"We want a stable homeland, because we have suffered a great deal," the protest leader added. "We are ushering in a new era. The upcoming government will be a government of all Sudanese, for all citizens.

We have suffered enough from the totalitarian dictatorial regime."

The military and the pro-democracy movement agreed on July 5 to a joint sovereign council that would rule Sudan until elections are organized in 2022.

A general is set to head the ruling body for the next 21 months, followed by a civilian for the remaining 18 months. The interim government will be comprised of six civilians and five military representatives.

Sudan has been in a state of flux since former President Omar al-Bashir was ousted in April in a military coup brought about after large-scale protests against his regime.

Earlier this month, dozens were killed during opposition rallies against the military council. The protests — dubbed Justice First — were a direct response to the military council's use of brutal force against civilian protesters in June.

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)



jsi/amp (AFP, Reuters, AP)

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> Sudanese pro-democracy supporters celebrate a final power-sharing agreement with the ruling military council Saturday, Aug 17, 2019, in the capital, Khartoum. The deal paves the way for a transition to civilian-led government following the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April. (AP Photo)

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s pro-democracy movement and ruling military council signed a final power-sharing agreement Saturday at a ceremony in the capital, Khartoum, after weeks of tortuous negotiations.

The historic deal paves the way for a transition to a civilian-led government after the military overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir months ago and the more recent deadly suppression of protests.

Earlier this month, the two sides initialed a constitutional document in the wake of international pressure and amid growing concerns that the political crisis that followed al-Bashir’s ouster could ignite civil war.

Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the military council, called the signing a “victorious and historic day for our nation.”

“The revolution has achieved its goals,” he said, vowing the military would guarantee the transition to civilian rule.

Protest leader Mohammed Naji al-Asam said the two sides have ushered in a “new page” in Sudan’s history after three decades of “repression and corruption.”

The power-sharing deal creates a joint military and civilian sovereign council to rule for a little over three years until elections can be held. A military leader is to head the 11-member council for the first 21 months, followed by a civilian leader for the next 18. Lt. Gen. Shams el-Din Kabashi, spokesman for the military council, said Burhan would be the initial leader.

The agreement also establishes a Cabinet appointed by the activists, as well as a legislative body to be assembled within three months. The protest coalition is to have a majority in that body, as nominated by the Forces for Declaration of Freedom and Change, a coalition of opposition parties and movements representing the protesters.

The two sides appeared to agree on the soundness of a deal that came about in part because of international pressure. Ethiopia and the African Union co-led mediation efforts between the military and protesters.

Many regional leaders and international envoys attended Saturday’s ceremony, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Attendees in the Friendship Hall where the ceremony took place received Ahmed with cheering and chanting.

But at least one analyst, Suliman Baldo, a senior researcher with the Enough Project, said the country will still face obstacles during the coming months of transition.

“Daunting challenges will face Sudan’s progress to democracy and sound governance, chief among them the survival of the elements of the former regime in the institutions of the transition,” Baldo said.

Still, the Sudanese celebrated in Khartoum and elsewhere across the country Saturday. Video posted online showed people celebrating in the streets in Darfur and the eastern province of Kassala.

Railway workers and other protesters had traveled to the capital Friday by train from Atbara, the northern transport hub where the uprising began in December.

The military overthrew al-Bashir in April following months of protests against his three-decade-long authoritarian rule. The protesters then remained in the streets, demanding a rapid transition to civilian leadership.

The ruling military council and the activists came under renewed pressure to reach an accord after security forces opened fire on student protesters on Aug. 1 in the city of Obeid, leaving six people dead. At least nine troops from the paramilitary Rapid Support forces were arrested over the killings.

In June, security forces violently dispersed the protesters’ main sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum, killing dozens of people and plunging the fragile transition into crisis. The power-sharing agreement includes the establishment of an independent investigation into the crackdown on protests, specifically the dispersal of the sit-in.

Former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi, the leader of the opposition Umma party, said the deal was a “first step” in the democratic change until “fair” elections are held.

“Today is the day of transition to civilian rule. … The next stage will be a test for us, without exclusion. We will open the door so all people can participate,” said al-Mahdi, who led Sudan’s last freely elected government before an Islamist-backed military coup in 1989.

Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy head of the military council, and protest leader Ahmad Rabie, who is a high school teacher, signed the deal. Both had initialed the documents earlier this month.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated the Sudanese people and looked forward to “engaging with and supporting the transitional governing institutions.”

The Forces for Declaration of Freedom and Change nominated a well-known economist, Abdalla Hamdok, to be prime minister during the transition. He served as the deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa since November 2011, and has yet to be confirmed by the sovereign council. The council’s members are to be announced Sunday, after which the ruling military council will immediately be disbanded.

The power-sharing deal has been criticized by the Sudan Revolutionary Front, an alliance of the largest rebel groups in Darfur. The rebels have stressed to protest leaders that the agreement did not include “basic principles” to achieve peace in Sudan. The deal calls for the government to reach a peace agreement with the rebels within six months.

The rebel alliance, which is part of the FDFC opposition coalition, wanted to include a peace document agreed on by the protest movement in the power-sharing deal. The rebel leaders have engaged in talks with other protest leaders to settle the disputed points. </s> NYAL, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan’s government claims the shattering five-year civil war is finally over, but there is considerable skepticism. It wasn’t helped by the sight of President Salva Kiir refusing to shake…

NYAL, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan’s government claims the shattering five-year civil war is finally over, but there is considerable skepticism. It wasn’t helped by the sight of President Salva Kiir refusing to shake the hand of rival Riek Machar after they signed a power-sharing deal this month, according to video footage seen by The Associated Press.

This latest attempt at peace already shows cracks, with the armed opposition last week saying several key issues, including reconciliation, are yet to be resolved as the warring forces prepare to merge and Machar is set to return to the capital as Kiir’s deputy once more.

Machar’s side won’t sign a final agreement that doesn’t ensure “accountability and justice and free and fair elections” at the end of the three-year transition period, chairman Mabior Garang de Mabior told AP.

Even as negotiations continue in Sudan, which has taken the lead in peace talks as it eyes South Sudan’s oil resources, the United States and many South Sudanese express deep concern that the fragile peace deal will end in violence as the previous one did in July 2016, with Machar fleeing his vice president post, and the country, on foot.

Now this East African nation, whose civil war along largely ethnic lines has created Africa’s largest refugee crisis since the 1994 Rwandan genocide, nervously awaits the rebel leader’s return.

South Sudan’s government acknowledges that some issues remain but says the current deal is genuine.

“It is the end of the war and the beginning of a new era,” said Maal Maker Thiong, who works in the president’s office.

The civil war in the world’s youngest nation has killed tens of thousands of people and sent more than 2 million fleeing since the fighting erupted between supporters of Kiir and then-deputy Machar in December 2013, two years after the country won independence from Sudan. Half of the remaining population of roughly 12 million is near starvation, according to U.N. agencies.

The idea that the two men whose rivalry has caused so much destruction are now in charge of finding peace has alarmed some in the international community and on the ground.

“We are concerned that the arrangements agreed to date are not realistic or sustainable,” the U.S., Britain and Norway said in a statement this month.

“We have seen time again that power-sharing is a recipe for more conflict in South Sudan and that Salva Kiir and Riek Machar are in fact obstacles to ending the war and not vehicles for resolving the conflict,” said Payton Knopf, a former coordinator of the U.N. panel of experts on South Sudan and former U.S. diplomat.

As part of the new peace agreement, Machar will return as one of five vice presidents. Government and opposition forces will merge into one national army. A three-year transitional period will follow, culminating in elections. Machar is expected to return within eight months, but opposition chairman Mabior said that will happen only with signs the agreement is being carried out.

During a visit this month to one of the last opposition-held areas in South Sudan, the AP spoke with more than a dozen people. All said they were doubtful that peace would prevail.

The captain of the opposition’s military intelligence for Panyijiar County, James Malieth, said he was shocked when he learned that his forces soon would have to merge with government troops.

“You can’t fight with someone and then be put together with them,” he said. “Our hearts haven’t yet calmed down from war.” It will take years before they can fight side-by-side with soldiers who killed his colleagues, he added.

News of the peace deal has filtered down to wary people in rural areas.

Seated on a straw mat outside her new home, 28-year-old Nyadet Kai cradled her small son to her chest. The mother of five said she escaped her hometown of Leer in May when government soldiers attacked, raping women and abducting children.

Kai lost her husband to the war in 2013 and has been displaced seven times since then. She now seeks shelter on a remote island in the swamps, 45 minutes by boat from the opposition-held town of Nyal in Unity state.

“In 2015 they signed something but there was fighting again,” she said of the previous peace agreement. “I’ll believe there’s peace when the government removes its soldiers from my town.”

Another island resident, Mary Nyataba, playfully wrestled with her dog, which in disgust she had named after Kiir’s backside.

“I called him that because the president has killed so many people,” the 40-year-old mother of five said. Stroking the dog’s nose with her thumb, she said she might change the name if peace ever comes.

Copyright © 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed. </s> Sudan’s pro-democracy movement signed a final power-sharing agreement with the ruling military council on Saturday at a ceremony in the capital, Khartoum.

The deal paves the way for a transition to civilian-led government following the military overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April.

The signing capped weeks of tortuous negotiations between the military and protest leaders. Earlier this month, the two sides initialed a constitutional document in the wake of international pressure and amid growing concerns the political crisis could ignite civil war.

Ethiopia and the African Union co-led mediation efforts between the military and protesters, and many regional leaders and international envoys attended Saturday’s ceremony, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The protest organizers planned celebrations in Khartoum and elsewhere across the country. Railway workers and other protesters had travelled to the capital Friday by train from Atbara, the northern transport hub where the uprising began in December.

The power-sharing deal creates a joint military and civilian sovereign council to rule for a little over three years until elections can be held. A military leader would head the 11-member council for the first 21 months, followed by a civilian leader for the next 18.

The agreement would also establish a Cabinet appointed by the activists, as well as a legislative body to be assembled within three months. The protest coalition is to have a majority in that body, as nominated by the Forces for Declaration of Freedom, a coalition of opposition parties and movements representing the protesters.

The FDFC has nominated a well-known economist, Abdalla Hamdok, to lead the government during the transition. He served as the the deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa since November 2011, and has yet to be confirmed by the sovereign council. The council’s members are to be announced on Sunday, after which the ruling military council will immediately be disbanded.

The deal has been criticized by the Sudan Revolutionary Front, an alliance of the largest rebel groups in Darfur. The rebels have stressed to protester leaders that the agreement did not include “basic principles” to achieve peace in Sudan. The deal calls for the government to reach a peace agreement with the rebels within six months.

The rebel alliance, which is part of the FDFC, wanted to include a peace document agreed with the protest movement into the power-sharing deal. The rebel leaders have engaged in talks with other protest leaders to settle the disputed points.

The military overthrew al-Bashir following months of protests against his three-decade-long authoritarian rule. The protesters then remained in the streets, demanding a rapid transition to civilian leadership.

The two sides came under renewed pressure to reach an accord after security forces opened fire on student protesters in the city of Obeid on Aug. 1, leaving six people dead. At least nine troops from the paramilitary Rapid Support forces were arrested over the killings.

In June, security forces violently dispersed the protesters’ main sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum, killing dozens of people and plunging the fragile transition into crisis. The deal includes the establishment of an independent investigation into the crackdown. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption Celebrations began overnight and carried on into Saturday morning

Sudan's ruling military council and main opposition coalition have agreed on a constitutional declaration which will pave the way for a new period of transitional government.

African Union mediator Mohamed Hassan Lebatt made the announcement early on Saturday, without giving any details.

Sudan has been in turmoil since the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir in April.

Protracted talks over the declaration have been held amid much violence.

The long-awaited declaration deal triggered celebrations in Sudan, which has been plunged into months of crisis.

Both sides signed a power-sharing accord in July, but demonstrators have been waiting since then for more details about the agreement.

Protests first broke out in December after Mr Bashir's government imposed emergency austerity measures. He was then overthrown by the military in April after prolonged protests outside the defence ministry in Khartoum.

Image copyright EPA Image caption There have been protests on the streets of Sudan for months

Demonstrators have since called for authority to be transferred to a civilian administration.

What does the declaration say?

The document outlines the terms of a three-year transitional period agreed last month by the military council and opposition leaders.

The power-sharing deal envisages a governing body of six civilians and five generals.

"I am announcing to the Sudanese, African and international public opinion that the two delegations have fully agreed on the constitutional declaration," Mr Lebatt told reporters on Saturday.

He said further meetings would be held to work out the technical details of the signing ceremony, but did not provide any information about the agreement itself.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Sudan crisis: Schoolchildren fired on during protests

A draft of the declaration seen by Reuters news agency said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been accused of killing protesters, will now fall under the general command of the armed forces, and the intelligence service will be co-supervised by the sovereign council and the cabinet.

The deal on the declaration came after the military council announced that nine RSF soldiers had been dismissed and detained in connection with the killing of protesters, including four schoolchildren, this week.

The deaths had prompted mass demonstrations across the country and caused delays in the talks.

What do we know about the transition period?

The military and protesters have reached several agreements, with each side fleshing out new details as they try to overcome suspicion and build a working relationship.

They have so far agreed on the following:

Power-sharing will last for 39 months

A sovereign council, cabinet and legislative body will be formed

A general will head the council for the first 21 months, a civilian for the remaining 18

A prime minister, nominated by the pro-democracy movement, will head the cabinet

The ministers of defence and interior will be chosen by the military.

The long transition period is seen as a victory for the pro-democracy movement - the generals had threatened a snap election after the 3 June crackdown.

Demonstrators argue that Mr Bashir's regime is so deeply entrenched that it will take time to dismantle its political network and open the way for free and fair elections. </s> Sudan's former President Omar al-Bashir has arrived at court to face corruption charges, which his lawyers say are baseless.

Mr Bashir was ousted in April after months of protests bringing an end to his nearly 30 years in power.

In June, prosecutors said a large hoard of foreign currency had been found in grain sacks at his home.

On Sunday, pro-democracy activists and the country's military leaders signed a deal paving the way for elections.

There was heavy security outside the courthouse in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, witnesses say,

The former president arrived with a large military convoy.

What are the corruption charges?

The former president faces charges related to "possessing foreign currency, corruption and receiving gifts illegally".

In April, Sudan's military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said more than $113m (£93m) worth of cash in Sudanese pounds and foreign currency had been seized from Mr Bashir's home.

The ousted leader had been due in court in July - but the trial was postponed for security reasons.

What other charges does Mr Bashir face in Sudan?

In May, Sudan's public prosecutor charged Mr Bashir with incitement and involvement in the killing of protesters.

The charges stem from an inquiry into the death of a doctor killed during protests that led to the end of Mr Bashir's rule in April.

The doctor had been treating injured protesters in his home in Khartoum, when police fired tear gas into the building.

A witness told the BBC that the doctor had walked out with his hands in the air, told the police he was a doctor and was instantly shot.

What about the transition to democracy?

Mr Bashir's trial will be seen as a test of whether the new authorities are able to deal with the alleged crimes of the previous regime.

On Saturday, Sudan's ruling military council, which took over after Mr Bashir's ousting, and civilian opposition alliance signed a landmark power-sharing deal.

The agreement ushers in a new governing council, including both civilians and generals, to pave the way towards elections and civilian rule.

Mohamed Hamdan "Hemeti" Dagolo, widely regarded as Sudan's most powerful man, has pledged to abide by its terms.

The members of the new sovereign council were supposed to be sworn in on Monday, but the ceremony has been postponed for 48 hours after a request from pro-democracy activists, the Reuters news agency quotes a military spokesman as saying.
Representatives of Sudan's military and the civil opposition sign the first of two parts of a power-sharing deal which is supposed to last until free elections in 2022.