Sudan’s opposition coalition yesterday named the five people it has chosen as civilian members of the country’s sovereign council to be sworn in today, a source within the coalition told Reuters.
The Forces of Freedom and Change chose Aisha Mousa, Siddig Tower, Mohamed Elfaki Suleiman, Hassan Sheikh Idris and Taha Othman Ishaq, the source said.
Under a power-sharing agreement signed on Saturday, the coalition is allowed to choose five members and the military another five members. The two sides will jointly choose the eleventh.
Meanwhile, Sudan was expected to form its sovereign council, the first step after the signing of a transitional constitution triggered unprecedented celebration in Khartoum.
Rare scenes of jubilation filled the streets of the capital on Saturday after generals and opposition leaders signed the documents that will govern Sudan’s three-year transition to civilian rule.
The ceremony in a hall by the Nile river was attended by several high-ranking foreign officials, the biggest such event in years to be held in the once-pariah state.
Worldwide congratulations poured in after the signing, which revellers and officials alike hailed as the beginning of a “new Sudan” after 30 years of rule by the now-detained general Omar al-Bashir.
“I welcome this historic moment for Sudan. This agreement responds to the demands of the Sudanese people who have tirelessly called for change and a better future,” said Britain’s Minister for Africa Andrew Stephenson.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed his country would support the establishment of “a government that protects the rights of all Sudanese citizens and leads to free and fair elections”.
According to the green book of documents signed on Saturday, several key steps will be taken before embarking on the long and obstacle littered road to 2022 polls. The ruling sovereign council is to be comprised of six civilians and five military nominees.
Young Sudanese boys carry a national flag as they celebrate in Bahri, the capital Khartoum’s northern district, a day after generals and protest leaders signed a historic transitional constitution meant to pave the way for civilian rule, yesterday.
