KHARTOUM — The head of Sudan’s ruling military council said an incident in which at least four schoolchildren were shot dead at a protest was “regrettable” and called for a quick resumption of negotiations over political transition.

The children’s deaths came at a time of heightened tension between Sudan’s military rulers and the main opposition coalition, which called for nationwide protests in response – although the turnout was limited.

In an interview recorded on Monday and aired on state television late on Tuesday, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said he hoped a deal between the military council and the main opposition coalition could be reached “as soon as possible.”

“What happened in El Obeid and (the incidents) before are all regrettable,” Burhan said. “No one accepts the death or killing of any Sudanese person, and this may be one of the motives prompting us to sign (an agreement) as soon as possible to bring life back to normal,” Burhan said.

More talks between the two sides on the transition from military rule to a new sovereign council were due to take place on Tuesday but were postponed after the shooting, a pattern that has happened repeatedly after bouts of violence.

“The military council’s delegation is ready to begin negotiations at any time,” he added.

Six people, at least four of whom were students, were shot dead on Monday when security forces broke up a student protest in El-Obeid, some 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Khartoum, opposition-linked doctors said. The teenagers were rallying against fuel and bread shortages, residents said.

The Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition of opposition groups accused military and paramilitary forces of opening fire on the high school pupils.

The governor of North Kordofan state, General Al-Sadiq al-Tayeb Abdallah, said “infiltrators” had diverted a peaceful demonstration from its course and attacked a bank branch and tried to attack another, state news agency SUNA reported.

Burhan told journalists in the state TV interview that the protests in El-Obeid had deviated from their course and that protesters attacked markets and banks. He added he could not as of yet confirm who shot at the school children and that the matter was still under investigation.

Schools have been suspended starting on Wednesday for an indefinite period following instructions from the military council, SUNA said.

After occasions when tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in the past months, just dozens protested on Tuesday on Sitteen Street, a main thoroughfare in the capital Khartoum, carrying photos of the victims, a Reuters witness said.

Dozens also demonstrated in other parts of the capital.

A member of an opposition-linked pharmacists’ committee, who asked not to be named, said students and adults also went out in protest on Tuesday in El-Obeid, the state capital of North Kordofan.

He said he had accompanied a delegation from the FFC who visited on Monday to console victims’ families and visit the wounded.

The FFC called for those responsible for the deaths to be held accountable and for the military council to immediately agree the details of a new transitional authority.

“I am outraged by the deaths of protesters including schoolchildren in the city El-Obeid,” said African Union Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat in a tweet on Tuesday. “The right to peaceful assembly and the safety of all citizens, especially children, must be upheld.”

The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum also condemned the violence on Tuesday, saying, “The use of live ammunition is never an appropriate response to a peaceful demonstration. This tragic event makes even more urgent the formation of a civilian-led transitional government that is broadly supported by the Sudanese people.”

The military council has been ruling Sudan since generals ousted veteran president Omar al-Bashir on April 11.

Long-stalled negotiations over the path towards the transition collapsed altogether when security forces broke up a protest camp outside the Defence Ministry on June 3, killing dozens of people.

However, Ethiopian and African Union mediators were able to bring them back to the table, and they signed a political accord on July 17. They have been wrangling over the details of a constitutional declaration since then. </s> Bassam Hatoum And Noha Elhennawy, The Associated Press 

 



KHARTOUM, - 's pro-democracy movement vowed Thursday to press its campaign of civil disobedience until the ruling military council is ousted and killers of protesters are brought to justice, as security forces fanned out across the capital and appeared to thwart any new demonstrations.

The African Union, meanwhile, suspended from all activities “with immediate effect” over the deadly military crackdown on protesters that left 108 dead this week. It threatened “punitive sanctions” if the military does not quickly hand over power to civilians.

The crackdown marked the start of a violent new chapter in the uprising that began in December and led to the military overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in April. The protesters had remained in the streets while holding talks with the military to demand a handover of power to civilians. Those negotiations were suspended after the violent dispersal of the main sit-in outside the military headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, on Monday.

The Doctors' Central Committee, one of the protest groups, said Wednesday that troops were seen pulling 40 bodies of people slain by the security forces from the Nile River in Khartoum and taking them away.

It said Thursday that more bodies had been pulled from the river, without giving an exact number. The committee said it was not known where the bodies were taken. It also said more than 500 protesters have been wounded in the crackdown, and that three children were among those killed.

's military-controlled Health Ministry disputed the death toll, with the ministry's undersecretary, Soliman Abdel Gabbar, saying only 61 people died in this week's violence. He said those include 52 killed in Khartoum, and that only two corpses were pulled from the Nile.

Clashes have erupted in other parts of the country as well. The ese Professionals Association, which has been spearheading the protests since December, said security forces have attacked demonstrators in more than a dozen cities and towns, in some cases beating, killing and raping civilians. The SPA did not provide further information about the attacks.

The group urged people to block main roads and bridges to “paralyze public life” across the country.

“Our success depends on our full adherence to peaceful protests, no matter how hard the criminal militias seek to drag us into violence,” the association said Thursday.

Hundreds of armoured vehicles of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces could be seen across the capital. The paramilitary force grew out of the Janjaweed militias used by al-Bashir's government to suppress the Darfur insurgency in the early 2000s, a scorched-earth campaign that led to his indictment by the International Criminal Court on charges including genocide.

Barricades erected earlier this week by protesters near the site of the dispersed sit-in were removed and roads were opened. Most stores were closed and few people were seen on the streets.

Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of the ruling military council, has called for a resumption of negotiations with the protest leaders, which they have rejected.

“All members of the military council belong to the old regime, and that is why we are betting now on lower-rank officers,” said Amal al-Zein, an activist and a leader of 's Communist Party, part of the protest movement.

“We are hoping patriotic policemen and military officers will act to protect the ese people,” she said, implying they might overthrow their superiors.

The military and protest leaders had spent weeks negotiating the makeup of a transitional council meant to run the country until elections. The protesters demanded civilians dominate the council, which the generals resisted.

After the crackdown, the military suspended the talks and cancelled all agreed-on points. It said it would form a government and hold elections within seven to nine months.

From Ethiopia, the African Union's Peace and Security Council said 's suspension will remain in effect until “the effective establishment” of a civilian-led transitional authority, calling it the only way of exiting the crisis.

The council said it would impose “punitive sanctions” if 's ruling military council does not hand over power to civilians, and called for “the immediate resumption of negotiations, without pre-conditions, between all ese stakeholders.”

The council is in charge of enforcing union decisions, somewhat similar to the U.N. Security Council.

The suspension deprives 's ruling military council of international legitimacy, according to Amani Africa, an independent think-tank based in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The United Nations, European Union and other bodies are expected to take their cues from the AU's action.

In practical terms, now cannot participate in any AU meeting and any AU financial or other support will cease, the think-tank said, though 's peacekeeping obligations are expected to continue.

The AU has suspended countries in the past over what were considered unconstitutional changes of government, including Egypt, Burkina Faso, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania and Niger. In certain cases, a suspension can last for years. No other country of the 55-member continental body is currently suspended.

The AU could take further steps, imposing sanctions and calling on the U.N. to do the same, the think-tank said.

The chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, earlier this week strongly condemned the violence in and urged the military “to protect the civilians from further harm.”

In Moscow, a top diplomat said Russia, which has largely stayed on the sidelines of the crisis in , opposes “any foreign intervention” and believes a compromise is needed.

Mikhail Bogdanov, chief of the Foreign Ministry's Middle East desk, told local news agencies that Russian diplomats are in touch with all political players in , including the opposition. Bogdanov visited Khartoum earlier this year. </s> Sudan’s military council and the main opposition coalition have reached an agreement to usher in a new period of transitional government, African Union mediator for Sudan Mohamed Hassan Lebatt told a news conference in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The document, which outlines the powers and the relationships between the branches of the transitional government, comes after weeks of protracted negotiations brokered by the African Union and neighbouring Ethiopia amid sporadic bouts of violence in the capital Khartoum and other cities.

Sudan has been in a state of political turmoil since the army ousted veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April, with dozens of demonstrators killed during street protests.

As news of the agreement emerged, people began gathering on Nile Street, a main avenue in the capital Khartoum, honking car horns and ululating in celebration.

“We’re victorious!” some people chanted while others sang the national anthem.

Lebatt said that representatives from both sides - civilian pro-democracy groups and the military - will continue talks on Saturday over the technical details of the accord.

Legal and technical teams still need to establish a timeline for the declaration to come into effect and for the transitional government to be appointed.

Once the transitional government starts work, Sudan embarks on a three-year transition period expected lead to elections.

Sudan’s stability is crucial for the security of a volatile region stretching from the Horn of Africa to Libya that is riven by conflict and power struggles.

Two key points of contention had been the role of Sudan’s General Intelligence Service and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country’s most powerful paramilitary group.

According to a draft of the declaration seen by Reuters, the intelligence service will report to the cabinet and the sovereign council, the body that will rule the country in the transitional period, while the RSF will fall under the general command of the armed forces.

The sides had previously agreed that the sovereign council will be comprised of 11 members – five officers selected by the military council, five civilians chosen by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition and another civilian to be agreed upon by both sides. Its first leader will be from the military.

When the sovereign council is formed, the country’s current ruling body, a transitional military council headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, will be dissolved.

A top priority for the transitional government during its first six months in power will be working towards peace with a number of armed groups active in the southern and western regions of the country, Satea al-Hajj, an FFC negotiator, said on Saturday.

Three of those armed groups are members of the FFC under the umbrella of the Revolutionary Front. –Reuters </s> Sudan’s ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the main opposition coalition have reached an agreement to usher in a new period of a transitional government, the African Union (AU) said.

Mohamed Hassan Lebatt, the AU mediator for Sudan, said representatives from both sides – civilian pro-democracy groups and the military – will continue talks on Saturday over the technical details of the deal.

“I am announcing to the Sudanese, African and international public opinion that the two delegations have fully agreed on the constitutional declaration,” Lebatt told a news conference in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The document, which outlines the powers and the relationships between the branches of the transitional government, comes after weeks of protracted negotiations brokered by the AU and neighbouring Ethiopia amid sporadic bouts of violence in the capital Khartoum and other cities.

Sudan has been in a state of political turmoil since the army removed veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April, with dozens of demonstrators killed during street protests.

As news of the agreement emerged, people began gathering on Nile Street, the main avenue in the capital Khartoum, honking car horns and ululating in celebration.

“We have been waiting for a civilian state to seek fair retribution from the murderers of our sons,” one protester Somaiya Sadeq told AFP news agency.

“We’re victorious!” some people chanted while others sang the national anthem.

Legal and technical teams still need to establish a timeline for the declaration to come into effect and for the transitional government to be appointed.

Once the transitional government starts work, Sudan embarks on a three-year transition period expected to lead to elections.

Two key points of contention had been the role of Sudan’s General Intelligence Service and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country’s most powerful paramilitary group.

According to a draft of the declaration seen by Reuters news agency, the intelligence service will report to the cabinet and the sovereign council, the body that will rule the country in the transitional period, while the RSF will fall under the general command of the armed forces.

The sides had previously agreed that the sovereign council will comprise 11 members – five officers selected by the TMC, five civilians chosen by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition and another civilian to be agreed upon by both sides. Its first leader will be from the military.

When the sovereign council is formed, the TMC, headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, will be dissolved.

The FFC alliance is expected to hold a press conference at 08:00 GMT to explain the details of the deal. </s> KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Huge crowds marched on Sudan’s defense ministry on Sunday demanding the ruling military hand over power to civilians, and the authorities said at least seven people were killed and scores injured in protests nationwide.

In the biggest demonstrations since a deadly raid by security forces on a protest camp in central Khartoum three weeks ago, tens of thousands of residents took to the streets in several parts of the Sudanese capital.

In two areas near the presidential palace and in the upscale eastern neighborhood of Riyadh, they were met by security forces firing barrages of tear gas, witnesses said.

The deputy head of Sudan’s ruling military council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, said unknown snipers were shooting at civilians and soldiers.

Seven people were killed and 181 wounded, 27 of them by live fire, in protests nationwide, the state news agency reported, citing a Health Ministry undersecretary.

The official said 10 of those injured were members of regular forces, including three conscripts of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Hemedti, who were injured by gunfire. The remaining seven were injured by stones hurled by demonstrators, he added.

A doctor’s group linked to the opposition said at least five protesters were killed and dozens injured during demonstrations in several cities. Reuters could not verify those accounts.

Sudan’s military overthrew president Omar al-Bashir in April after months of demonstrations against his rule.

Opposition groups kept up those demonstrations as they pressed the military to hand over power to civilians. But talks broke down after members of the security services raided the sit-in protest camp outside the defense ministry on June 3.

The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) opposition coalition called for a million people to demonstrate on Sunday - the 30th anniversary of the coup that brought Bashir to power, and the African Union’s deadline for Sudan’s military rulers to hand over to civilians or face further sanctions.

Demonstrators hold Sudanese flag as they march on the streets demanding the ruling military hand over to civilians, in Khartoum, Sudan, June 30, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

“WE WILL NOT RETREAT”

In another part of Khartoum, thousands blocked the main multi-lane highway that leads to the airport as they marched toward the home of a protester who was killed in January.

Protesters waved the Sudanese flag and chanted “civilian, civilian” and “blood for blood,” as Sudan beefed up security across the capital.

“We came out once again for the revolution and we will not retreat until they handover power to a civilian authority,” protester Hassan Ahmed told Reuters.

The Transitional Military Council had warned a day earlier that the opposition coalition would bear the responsibility for any loss of life or damage resulting from Sunday’s protests.

Members of one of the main opposition groups - the Sudanese Professionals’ Association - said the security services raided its headquarters on Saturday night as it was about to give a news conference.

Slideshow (15 Images)

The United Nations has said it has received reports that more than 100 protesters were killed and many more injured during the June 3 raid on the protest camp.

Military leaders have denied ordering a raid on the camp and said a crackdown on criminals nearby had spilled over.

The council has said some officers had been detained for presumed responsibility, and that it still intends to hand over power after elections.

Mediators led by the African Union and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed have been trying to broker a return to direct talks. </s> Five protesters were killed today during mass demonstrations that rocked Sudan as tens of thousands of people marched against the ruling generals.

Tens of thousands of protesters rallied across the north African nation against the army bosses that currently governs as organisers called for a march on the presidential palace in Khartoum, in the biggest mass demonstration since a deadly crackdown on demonstrators.

The 'million-man' march is being seen as a test for protest organisers whose push for civilian rule has been hit by the June 3 raid on a Khartoum sit-in and a subsequent internet blackout that has curbed their ability to mobilise support.

This evening a doctors committee linked to the protest movement said five demonstrators had been killed in the protests.

'The death of four martyrs in the city of Omdurman on the road of our victorious revolution brings the number of martyrs to five' in Sunday's protests, the committee said, after it reported earlier that a protester was shot dead in the town of Atbara.

'There are several seriously wounded by the bullets of the military council militias in hospitals of the capital and the provinces,' it added.

Dozens of demonstrators were killed and hundreds wounded when armed men in military fatigues stormed the sit-in outside army headquarters, shooting and beating protesters who had camped there since April 6.

Today police fired tear gas in the northern Khartoum district of Bahri and in Mamura and Arkweit, in the capital's east, as thousands of protesters chanted 'Civilian rule! Civilian rule!', witnesses said.

Security forces also used tear gas against demonstrators in the capital's twin city of Omdurman and the eastern town of Gadaref, witnesses said.

Protesters chanted anti-military slogans like 'Burhan's council, just fall', according to video clips circulated online. Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan is head of the military council.

Video clips showed protesters running away from security forces in the streets of Khartoum and seeking shelter from clouds of tear gas.

On a highway leading to Khartoum's international airport, a convoy of troops and riot police allowed some demonstrators to pass through as they headed toward the house of a protester who was killed earlier this month.

The protester's mother was standing outside and joined the demonstration. They waved Sudanese flags and chanted slogans calling for civilian rule.

Despite clouds of tear gas and a large deployment of the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), cheering crowds thronged the avenues of the capital.

Wrapped in large Sudanese flags, protesters whistled, cheered and chanted the slogans of the uprising.

'Civilian! Civilian!' they shouted, accompanied by a pulsing cacophony of car horns.

'Free revolutionaries, we will finish the job.'

Marchers also passed the homes of some people killed since protests broke in December after the government tripled the price of bread.

The mother of Mahjoub al-Taj and dozens of demonstrators stood in a small dusty courtyard named in honour of her son.

'We are all Mahjoub,' they chanted in unison.

Some 133 people have been killed since the June 3 crackdown, the majority of them on that day, according to reports from doctors close to the protest movement.

The health ministry says 61 people died nationwide on June 3.

The military council insists it did not order the dispersal of the sit-in, but acknowledged 'excesses' after orders were given to purge a nearby area allegedly notorious for drug peddling.

The latest demonstrations come at a time when Ethiopia and the African Union (AU) are jointly mediating between the protesters and generals.

The European Union, several Western nations and rights groups have called on the generals to avoid any violence.

Men and women flashing victory signs and carrying Sudanese flags flooded the streets of Al-Sahafa neighbourhood of Khartoum, an AFP correspondent reported.

'We are here for the martyrs of the (June 3) sit-in. We want a civilian state that guarantees our freedom. We want to get rid of military dictatorship,' said Zeinab, 23, as onlookers cheered and motorists honked horns.

'No one gave a mandate to the military council, all the people are against the council,' said another protester who shouted out: 'I'm the next martyr.'

Others chanting 'Blood for blood, we don't want compensation' took to the streets of the Jabra district, witnesses said, while rallies were also under way in other neighbourhoods of the capital.

On the road to airport, security forces moved to block off crowds of demonstrators, an AFP correspondent reported.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, the group that first launched protests against now ousted ruler Omar al-Bashir, urged supporters to march on the presidential palace in Khartoum.

'We call on our revolutionary people in the capital to go to the republican palace... to seek justice for the martyrs and for an unconditional transfer of power to civilians,' the SPA said in a statement on Twitter.

Thousands also protested in the cities of Port Sudan, Al-Obied, Madani and Khasma el-Girba, witnesses said.

The feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were deployed in pick-up trucks mounted with machineguns in several Khartoum squares and many shops were shut.

RSF chief General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo warned he would not tolerate any 'vandalism' at the protests.

'There are vandals, there are people who have an agenda, a hidden agenda, we don't want problems,' Dagalo, who is also the ruling military council's deputy chief, said Saturday.

In the run-up to the protest many Sudanese said they feared new violence.

'I expect large numbers... and it's very possible that security forces will use force,' said Mustafa, 25.

Another demonstrator, Talal, 29, said: 'Even if only a few rallies take place in Khartoum, they will break the barrier of fear and more people will take to the streets' in coming days.'

The umbrella protest movement, the Alliance for Freedom and Change, said demonstrators in Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman would also march to the homes of some of the protesters killed on June 3.

The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) opposition coalition called for a million people to turn out on Sunday - the 30th anniversary of the coup that brought Bashir to power in 1989, and the African Union's deadline for the military rulers to hand over to civilians or face further sanctions.

A senior member of Sudan's military leadership said unknown snipers had shot at three paramilitary soldiers and at least six demonstrators today.

About 130 people have been killed since the crackdown, the majority of them on that day, according to doctors close to the alliance.

The health ministry says 61 people died nationwide on June 3.

The military council insists it did not order the dispersal of the sit-in, but acknowledged 'excesses' after orders were given to purge a nearby area allegedly notorious for drug peddling.

The council has warned it would hold the alliance 'entirely responsible if any soul is lost' in Sunday's protests.

Tensions remain high since the June 3 raid, which followed the collapse of talks over who should lead a new governing body -- a civilian or soldier.

Ethiopia and the AU have proposed a blueprint for a civilian-majority body, which the generals say could be a basis for resuming talks.

Protesters had initially gathered at the military headquarters to seek the army's support in ousting Bashir.

They kept up their sit-in to demand civilian rule after the generals deposed the president on April 11.

Demonstrators' 'right to peacefully protest and express their views on 30 June, or on any other date, remains key,' the European Union said.

Amnesty International's Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said the military council 'must not allow the country to slide back into yet more repression.' </s> KHARTOUM: Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across Sudan Sunday chanting “civilian rule, civilian rule” as police fired tear gas in Khartoum, amid international calls for restraint to avoid a new deadly crackdown.

The planned “million-man” march is being seen as a test for protest organisers whose movement has been hit by a June 3 raid on a Khartoum sit-in and a subsequent internet blackout that has curbed their ability to mobilise support.

Dozens of demonstrators were killed and hundreds wounded when armed men in military fatigues stormed the sit-in outside army headquarters, shooting and beating protesters who had camped there since April 6.

On Sunday, police fired tear gas in the northern Khartoum district of Bahari and in Mamura and Arkweit, in the capital´s east, as thousands of protesters chanted “Civilian rule! Civilian rule!”, witnesses said.

Security forces also fired tear gas at demonstrators in the eastern town of Gadaref, a witness said. The latest demonstrations come at a time when Ethiopia and the African Union (AU) are jointly mediating between the protesters and generals.The European Union, several Western nations and rights groups have called on the generals to avoid any violence.

Thousands of men and women, flashing victory signs and carrying Sudanese flags, flooded the streets of Al-Sahafa neighbourhood of Khartoum, an AFP correspondent reported. “We are here for the martyrs of the (June 3) sit-in. We want a civilian state that guarantees our freedom. We want to get rid of military dictatorship,” said Zeinab, 23, as travellers in vehicles cheered them and motorists honked their horns in support as they drove by.

“No one gave a mandate to the military council, all the people are against the council,” said another protester, who did not reveal his name, as he chanted “I’m the next martyr.”Others took to the streets of Jabra neighbourhood in Khartoum, with many chanting revolutionary slogans, witnesses said, while rallies were under way in other districts. Thousands also launched protests in the cities of Port Sudan, Al-Obied, Madani and Khasma el-Girba, witnesses said.

The feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) deployed in pick-up trucks mounted with machineguns in several Khartoum squares and many shops were shut, an AFP correspondent said.

RSF chief General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo warned he would not tolerate any “vandalism” at the protests.In the run-up to the protest—the first major rallies since the crackdown—many Sudanese said they feared new violence.

Tensions remain high since the June 3 raid, which followed the collapse of talks over who should lead a new governing body—a civilian or soldier. Ethiopia and the AU have proposed a blueprint for a civilian-majority body, which the generals say could be a basis for resuming talks. </s> Sudan's military leaders have reached an agreement with the opposition alliance to share power until elections can be held, mediators say.

The two sides agreed to rotate control of the sovereign council - the top tier of power - for at least three years.

They have also pledged to form an independent technocratic government and to investigate the violence of recent weeks, the African Union (AU) said.

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

That followed a popular uprising against Mr Bashir, who seized power in a coup in June 1989.

Just days before the three-year transitional deal was announced, vast crowds took to the streets to demand that the ruling military council hand power to a civilian-led administration.

Seven people were killed and 181 were hurt in clashes that followed, state media reported.

The latest round of talks took place in the capital, Khartoum, earlier this week and were heavily mediated by the Ethiopian prime minister and members of the pan-African AU.

What has been agreed?

"The two sides agreed on establishing a sovereign council with a rotating military and civilian [presidency] for a period of three years or a little more," AU mediator Mohamed Hassan Lebatt told reporters early on Friday.

Elections will then be held once this transition period ends.

Both sides also "agreed to have a detailed, transparent, national, independent investigation into all the regrettable violent incidents that the country faced in recent weeks," he added.

They have also agreed to postpone the establishment of a legislative council.

"We hope that this is the beginning of a new era," Omar al-Degair, a leader of the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), said after the announcement.

The deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said: "This agreement will be comprehensive and will not exclude anyone.

"We thank the African and Ethiopian mediators for their efforts and patience."

What is the background?

Last month, representatives of the protesters were in talks with the military over who would take control of Sudan.

But negotiations collapsed when a military crackdown on 3 June left dozens of protesters dead.

The army said it had scrapped all agreements with the opposition, and that elections would be held within nine months. But the protest movement insisted a transition period of at least three years was needed to ensure any elections are free and fair.

When talks broke down, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed flew to Sudan to try to broker a new agreement between the two sides.

After days of talks, his special envoy, Mahmoud Dirir, then announced that protest leaders had agreed to suspend widespread strikes and return to the negotiating table. </s> Tens of thousands of protesters rallied across Sudan on Sunday against the ruling generals as demonstrators marched on the presidential palace in Khartoum, in the biggest mass demonstration since a deadly crackdown on demonstrators.The "million-man" march is seen as a test for protest organisers whose push for civilian rule has been hit by the June 3 raid on a Khartoum sit-in and a subsequent internet blackout that has curbed their ability to mobilise support. Dozens of demonstrators were killed and hundreds wounded when armed men in military fatigues stormed the sit-in outside army headquarters, shooting and beating protesters who had camped there since April 6. On Sunday, police fired several rounds of tear gas on crowds approaching the presidential palace after organisers called for a march on the building that houses offices of the ruling transitional military council, an AFP correspondent reported.

SEE ALSO :Sudan leaders face pressure for transfer to civilian rule

"We call on our revolutionary people in the capital to go to the republican palace... to seek justice for the martyrs and for an unconditional transfer of power to civilians," the Sudanese Professionals Association that first launched protests against now ousted ruler Omar al-Bashir said on Twitter. Police also fired tear gas at protesters in the northern Khartoum district of Bahri and in Mamura and Arkweit, in the capital's east, as thousands of protesters chanted "Civilian rule! Civilian rule!", witnesses said. Elsewhere, security forces used tear gas to disperse protests in the capital's twin city of Omdurman and the eastern town of Gadaref. The latest demonstrations come at a time when Ethiopia and the African Union (AU) are jointly mediating between the protesters and generals. The European Union, several Western nations and rights groups called on the generals to avoid any violence.

SEE ALSO :Sudan protest leaders to unveil civilian ruling body

Men and women flashing victory signs and carrying Sudanese flags flooded the streets of Al-Sahafa neighbourhood of Khartoum. "We are here for the martyrs of the (June 3) sit-in. We want a civilian state that guarantees our freedom. We want to get rid of military dictatorship," said Zeinab, 23, as onlookers cheered and motorists honked horns. "No one gave a mandate to the military council, all the people are against the council," said another protester who shouted out: "I'm the next martyr." Marchers also passed by the homes of those killed on June 3. Others chanting "Blood for blood, we don't want compensation" took to the streets of the Jabra district, while rallies were also under way in other neighbourhoods of the capital.

SEE ALSO :Sudan protest leaders to unveil civilian ruling body today

On the road to airport, security forces moved to block off crowds of demonstrators, an AFP correspondent reported. Thousands also protested in the cities of Port Sudan, Al-Obied, Madani and Khasma el-Girba, witnesses said.The feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were deployed in pick-up trucks mounted with machineguns in several Khartoum squares and many shops stayed shut. RSF chief General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo had warned he would not tolerate any "vandalism" at the protests.

SEE ALSO :Sudan transition gets murky as AU deadline for power hand over nears

"There are vandals, there are people who have an agenda, a hidden agenda, we don't want problems," Dagalo, who is also the ruling military council's deputy chief, said Saturday. In the run-up to the protest many Sudanese said they feared new violence. "I expect large numbers... and it's very possible that security forces will use force," said Mustafa, 25. Another demonstrator, Talal, 29, said: "Even if only a few rallies take place in Khartoum, they will break the barrier of fear and more people will take to the streets" in coming days. About 130 people have been killed since the crackdown, the majority of them on that day, according to doctors close to the alliance. The health ministry says 61 people died nationwide on June 3. The military council insists it did not order the dispersal of the sit-in, but acknowledged "excesses" after orders were given to purge a nearby area allegedly notorious for drug peddling. The council has warned it would hold the alliance "entirely responsible if any soul is lost" in Sunday's protests.Tensions remain high since the June 3 raid, which followed the collapse of talks over who should lead a new governing body -- a civilian or soldier. Ethiopia and the AU have proposed a blueprint for a civilian-majority body, which the generals say could be a basis for resuming talks. Protesters had initially gathered at the military headquarters to seek the army's support in ousting Bashir. They kept up their sit-in to demand civilian rule after the generals deposed the president on April 11. Demonstrators' "right to peacefully protest and express their views on 30 June, or on any other date, remains key," the European Union said. Amnesty International's Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said the military council "must not allow the country to slide back into yet more repression." "The world is watching."

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The African Union suspends Sudan's membership "with immediate effect", after dozens of protesters were killed by pro-government forces in the capital Khartoum.