Massive crowds join protest against Sudan’s military leaders
Hundreds of thousands of protesters have joined a sit-in outside Sudan’s defence ministry to press the ruling military council to hand over power to a civilian administration.
According to Al Jazeera, the huge crowd was answering a call by an alliance of activists and opposition groups to join a protest march through Khartoum on Thursday.
The Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) alliance said on Thursday it had submitted a draft constitutional document containing its vision for the transitional period to the Transitional Military Council (TMC).
Protesters and activists have been negotiating with the TMC to form a joint civilian-military body to oversee the period following the forced departure of long-time President Omar al-Bashir.
However, the parties are deadlocked over who would control the new council, and what the features of a transitional government would be.
Opposition groups say the ruling council must be civilian-led and have promised to maintain a sit-in outside the ministry until their demands are met, but the TMC has shown no sign of willingness to relinquish ultimate authority.
The proposed joint council would replace the existing 10-member TMC that took control after the military overthrew President al-Bashir three weeks ago.
But protest leaders from the DFCF alliance say the generals are not serious about handing power to civilians.
The army has been pushing for a council of seven military representatives and three civilians, while the alliance demands a council made up of eight civilians and seven generals.
The disagreement prompted the alliance to announce Thursday’s “million-strong march to assert our main demand, which is for civilian rule”.
People came from a number of different provinces to join the march, a witness told Reuters News Agency.
