Sudanese Army, Protesters Resume Talks on Sunday

The Sudanese Transitional Military Council (TMC) announced that talks with protest leaders would resume on Sunday following the generals’ 72-hour suspension of negotiations on implementing civilian rule in the country. The two sides were expected to come to an agreement last week, but the military rulers cut off the discussions after clashes broke out at protest sites twice, leaving four people dead and many others wounded. The TMC responded by removing all barricades placed by protesters beyond a designated sit-in zone outside the military headquarters in Khartoum. An opposition alliance calling itself the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) has continued its sit-ins, which began on April 6 and precipitated the end of strongman Omar Al-Bashir’s 30-year rule on April 11. The opposing sides have so far agreed to a three-year transition period with a 300-member parliament, two-thirds of whom will be representatives of the protest movement, and the rest from other political groups. Remaining negotiations will focus on the composition of a sovereign council to replace the TMC.