Sudan military offers compromise after coup

The governing interim military council of Sudan on Sunday said it would name a civilian prime minister and Cabinet after weekend meetings between the army and the leaders of the protest that led to last week’s coup d’état. The country’s military on Thursday deposed President Omar al-Bashir after four months of organized anti-government protests. Al-Bashir held power for nearly three decades. Defense Minister Awad Ibn Ouf announced a transitional military council would rule the country for no more than two years and declared a state of emergency. Demonstrators continued protesting, calling for civilian transitional leadership, and Ibn Ouf stepped down over the weekend.

Naming a civilian prime minister and Cabinet, but not president, likely will not appease the protesters. The Sudanese Professionals Association, which organized the protests, delivered a list of nine demands, including the dismissal of top judges and prosecutors and the prosecution of officials behind the 1989 military coup that put al-Bashir in charge.