African Union gives Sudan’s military rulers 60 days to transfer power to civilians
The African Union has extended the deadline for Sudan’s military rulers to hand over power to civilians by a further 60 days.
Following a meeting of the AU’s Peace and Security Council on April 15, Sudan’s military rulers were told to hand over to power to a civilian-led authority within 15 days or face suspension.
Despite the deadline passing, the AU noted gradual progress by parties in negotiations towards an agreement on the modalities, structures and timelines of a civilian-led Transitional Authority.
The AU insists that a military-led transition in Sudan will be totally unacceptable and contrary to the will and legitimate aspirations of the Sudanese people.
Protesters also maintain they will continue pushing for the military council to hand over power to a civilian government following the removal of Omar al-Bashir on April 11.
The two sides are negotiating the formation of a new transitional government but are divided over the role of the military, which is dominated by al-Bashir appointees.
The AU called on all stakeholders to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from any act or declaration that could jeopardize the efforts so deployed in the search for a sustainable solution to the current crisis.
That statement follows a warning by the military council to protesters against any further chaos as organizers called for mass rallies later this week.
The deputy head of the military council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also reiterated the military’s demand that protesters clear roads and railways, saying seven provinces were running low on food, water and fuel.
