This archive report was first published on 6 July 2019.
On July 5, 2019, Sudan's ruling military council and a coalition of opposition and protest groups provisionally agreed to share power for three years, sparking widespread celebrations across the country.
The deal, which was finalized on Monday, July 8, 2019, brings an end to months of internal conflicts and economic crisis that led to the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
According to African Union mediator Mohamed Hassan Lebatt, the sovereign council will be established by rotation between the military and civilians for a period of three years or slightly more, with the military leading the council for the first 21 months and civilians taking over for the final 18 months.
The council will comprise five military members, five civilian appointees, and an additional civilian member agreed by the two sides.
However, the deal has been met with skepticism, with protesters blaming the military council and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for recent violence, including the killing of dozens during a sit-in on June 3, 2019.
Amnesty International has called for the RSF to be barred from policing activities to help secure the deal, citing the group's history of war crimes in the western region of Darfur.
Foreign powers, including wealthy Gulf Arab states, have been vying for influence in Sudan, a country of 40 million people and a gateway into Africa from the Middle East.
As the deal is finalized, Sudanese citizens are holding their breath, hoping that the agreement will bring an end to decades of dictatorship and pave the way for a peaceful transition of power.
