The people of Sudan hails their victory by dancing and waving Sudan’s flag in Khartoum. (Image via: aawsat.com)

Sudan's Protesters Celebrate Victory After Power-Sharing Deal

Kirana Chandra Mumpuni Budiana
Politics & Economic
Politics
Jul 06, 2019
2400
Sudan’s protester and the military council welcomed the power-sharing agreement on Friday, July 6 2019. Both sides hope the deal would end political crisis that has paralyzed the country. The crisis led to more than 100 people killed following a violent attack by authorities on peaceful protesters. Hundreds of protesters were dancing and waving Sudan’s flag as drivers honked their horns in the capital of Khartoum. They feel relieved after the crisis took away their smile ever since the military ousted longtime autocrat Omar el-Bashir in April.

The statement by the Sudanese Professionals’ Association, the spearhead of the protests, stated that both sides agreed to form a joint military and civilian sovereign council to lead the country. This will go on during a transition period of three years and three months. The joint council had been the important part in the negotiations. The council is the combination of both sides, five civilians and five military members. There’s also one position in the council for a civilian chosen by both sides. A military member will lead the council for the first 21 months. After that, a civilian member will take the lead.

The decision showed a significant concession by pro-democracy forces, which insisted that the sovereign council have only a civilian president. However, the deal also secured a key demand by protest leaders. That accepted demand is they select the members of a technocratic Cabinet to be formed independently from the generals. For three months, the sovereign council will make the nation’s laws. Therefore, the creation of a legislative council will be postponed during that time.

The military-controlled TV channel, Al-Sudan, also playing national songs and rerunning excerpts of the news conference by both sides announcing the agreement. It has the caption “Congratulations to the Sudanese people” written on the screen. That means the general hails the agreement as well. It had been a chaotic situation when security forces attacked a protest camp outside the military headquarters in Khartoum on June 3. Protest leaders said that since then more than 100 people have been killed. In the following weeks, protesters stayed on the streets. They were demanding the civilian leadership. The leader of the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, Omer El-Digair, said they hoped that forming the transitional institutions marks the beginning of a new era. The coalition led by him has been representing the protesters.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/envoy-says-sudan-rivals-reach-power-sharing-agreement/2019/07/04/b81c06ce-9ed1-11e9-83e3-45fded8e8d2e_story.html?utm_term=.8e2af15c4d59

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