Sudan’s TMC Cancels Deal with Protesters, Calls for Elections

Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC) on Tuesday announced it was cancelling all agreements with an alliance of protest groups and has called for elections within nine months under regional and international supervision. The TMC’s leader, Lt.-Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, added on Tuesday that until then, a government would be formed to run the country, although he failed to provide further details. The protesters have rejected the plan. The declaration comes a day after 35 people were killed and at least 100 were wounded amid heavy gunfire at a sit-in site in front of the military headquarters in Khartoum, with activists at the scene alleging that it was an attempt by the military to disperse the protesters. The TMC denied these claims, saying it was going only after those provoking unrest. The European Union, the African Union, and the United States have condemned the violence. Tensions have been rising between the TMC, backed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and an alliance of protest groups, supported by the African Union and western governments. The demonstrators are demanding that power be handed over to civilians since the overthrow of president Omar Al-Bashir on April 11.