Khartoum - For the third day, thousands of people continued a
sit-in protest on Sunday outside Sudan's military headquarters,
demanding a peaceful transition to civilian rule.
They sang protest songs and held up placards, according to
eyewitnesses.
Weeks of demonstrations around Sudan led to the end of former
president Omar al-Bashir's three decades in power.
An alliance of opposition parties and activists have vowed to
continue protesting until the military council currently in power
heeds their demands.
A lack of consensus is emerging among the opposition, with some
showing openness to the military's overtures. Representatives of the
protesters, including the Sudanese Professional's Association,
however, don't want to compromise with the military.
Interim leader Abdel Fattah Burhan has said the military council
would hand over power to a civilian government in two years.
The interim military council is willing to negotiate with protest
leaders, he said in a televised press statement Saturday.
On Sunday, the deputy president of the military council, General
Mohamed Hamdan Daglu, met with the US Embassy's acting charge
d'affaires, Steven Koutsis, state news agency Sudanese Suna reported.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) meanwhile pledged
their support to the military council.
Considered closer to the people, Burhan replaced former defence
minister Awad Ibn Auf, who took power after al-Bashir was deposed on
Thursday. Demonstrations forced Auf, an ally of al-Bashir's, to step
down on Friday.
Head of the National Intelligence and Security Service Salah Mohammed
Abdallah Salih also resigned, according to a statement from the
military.
Also known as Salah Gosh, Salih was the architect of a powerful
security apparatus under al-Bashir. The reason for his resignation is
unclear.