Talks on power-sharing between Sudan’s Transitional Military Council and the opposition have been postponed after six people were killed in protests. The deaths occurred in the city of Obbayed.
Sudan’s Transitional Military Council and opposition groups suspended talks on a draft constitution Monday after violence in North Kordofan state killed six protesters, including school students.
Talks were stopped at the request of the opposition, which condemned the violence against protesters, who were demonstrating against Sudan’s military council.
Opposition leader Kamal Karrar said it’s an expected action that the opposition suspended the talks after the Obbayed violence, where school students were killed. He said protesters want the talks to remain on hold indefinitely.
Sudan’s ruling military council said no military troops are responsible for killing protesters and blamed the deaths on shadow militias that were part of the former regime that is trying to create chaos and instability.
Political analyst Khalid Alfaki thinks any delay in reaching an agreement on creating a transitional government might affect the security situation in Sudan.
He thinks suspending direct talks between the opposition and Sudan’s Transitional Military Council will have a negative impact on the whole political and security situation in Sudan, and it’ll give the opposition a reason to delay forming a civilian government.
Demonstrations first erupted in December over the high price of fuel. Protesters continued to call for political change even after former president Omar al-Bashir was ousted by the military.
Bashir ruled Sudan for 30 years before the military toppled him on April 11.
The Transitional Military Council and opposition leaders agreed earlier this month to form a transitional government after three months of violent protests that killed hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators.
The streets of Khartoum and other cities were flooded with angry protesters and school students Monday and Tuesday, calling for justice and demanding the opposition stop the talks with the Transitional Military Council.
Protesters like Fadia Khalaf think the TMC will not share power.
Khalaf said that people are angry and protesting in the streets because the TMC is not committed to the signed political agreement and it is so obvious that the TMC doesn’t want to agree because it is still violating citizens’ rights and killing protesters.
Sudan’s military council and opposition agreed on forming a transitional government to run Sudan until elections, a final agreement had been scheduled to be reached this week before talks on the constitutional draft were suspended on Monday.