Protest Leaders in Sudan Agree to Joint Civilian-Military Council

Sudan’s protest leaders and army rulers have agreed to establish a joint civilian-military council in what analysts are saying is a major breakthrough following months of popular unrest that led to the ouster of longtime president Omar al-Bashir. With Bashir deposed, the army stepped in to fill the political vacuum and vowed to maintain power during a transitional stage of up to two years. However, demonstrators rejected the move and at the beginning of April began a sit-in outside the military headquarters in the capital Khartoum. Opposition and human rights groups, along with much of the international community, have demanded that authority immediately be transferred to an interim civilian government until such time that elections can be held. Meanwhile, one of Sudan’s most influential opposition leaders – who was overthrown in the 1989 military coup that brought Bashir to power – called for the country to join the International Criminal Court. The Hague-based tribunal has issued an arrest warrant for Bashir due to his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the conflict in the Darfur region.