KHARTOUM - Sudan's Transitional Military
Council has invited the opposition to a meeting in Khartoum on
Wednesday night, with the two sides at loggerheads over how long
it will take to move to civilian rule after the ouster of former
autocrat ruler Omar al-Bashir.
The council and opposition umbrella group Forces of the
Declaration of Freedom and Change have appeared on a collision
course in recent days over the demands for civilian rule.
"The Transitional Military Council declares that the doors
of dialogue and negotiation are open," the council said in a
statement.
While the opposition has insisted on a swift handover of
power to civilians, the military council has said the process
could take up to two years.
It was not clear if the opposition group, which includes
protest organisers the Sudanese Professionals' Association
(SPA), planned to attend the meeting. The SPA said on Sunday it
would suspend talks with the military council.
"We have decided to opt for escalation with the military
council, not to recognise its legitimacy and to continue the
sit-in and escalate the protests on the streets," SPA member
Mohamed al-Amin Abdel-Aziz told protesters on Sunday in front of
the military headquarters, where thousands have camped out since
April 6.
On Tuesday, the SPA and witnesses said security forces had
tried to disperse the sit-in. The group encouraged protesters to
put up more barriers and keep protesting.