This archive report was first published on 4 August 2019.
On August 4, 2019, Sudan's army rulers and protest leaders made a significant breakthrough in their negotiations, signing a constitutional declaration that marks a crucial step towards a transition to civilian rule.
The agreement, which was signed in Khartoum, builds on a landmark power-sharing deal reached on July 17 and provides for a joint civilian-military ruling body to oversee the formation of a transitional civilian government and parliament.
Protest movement leader Ahmed Rabie and General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the deputy head of the ruling military council, signed the declaration in the presence of African Union and Ethiopian mediators.
"We turned a tough page of Sudan's history by signing this agreement," General Daglo said in a statement, flashing a victory sign as he spoke.
The signing of the constitutional declaration was met with applause and cheers from representatives of both sides, who shook hands in a symbol of their commitment to the agreement.
Thousands of jubilant Sudanese took to the streets of Khartoum to celebrate the deal, with many hailing it as a victory in their struggle for a new Sudan.
"For us, the revolution succeeded now and our country set foot on the road towards civilian rule," said 25-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim, who joined the cavalcade of vehicles that crisscrossed the streets of Khartoum, horns blazing.
