SUDAN'S SOVEREIGN COUNCIL UNVEILED

By Our Reporter, Khartoum SUDAN

Sudan’s military on Tuesday announced the formation of an 11-member sovereign council, which will govern the country for more than three years.

The move is in line with a deal reached between the Transitional Military Council and the opposition Forces of Freedom and Change (FCC). It is the first step after the landmark adoption of a transitional constitution.

The head of the military council Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan will lead the sovereign council, spokesman of the military council, Lieutenant General Shamseddin al-Kabbashi, told reporters in Khartoum.

The military council, which took over from Omar al-Bashir’s regime after he was ousted in April, said al-Burhan would be sworn in before the judiciary chairperson on Wednesday morning.

As planned, the Transitional Military Council is scheduled to be dissolved after the formation of the sovereign council.

Al-Kabbashi said the members of the new council include General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, General Shamseddin al-Kabbashi, General Yasir Abdurrahman Hassan Atta, General Ibrahim Jabir Karim, Hassan Mohamed Idris, Siddig Tawer, Mohammed al-Faki Suleiman, Mohammed Al-Hasan al-Taayshi, Aisha Mousa Saeed and Raja Nicola.

The sovereign council includes five military members selected by the Transitional Military Council (TMC), five civilians chosen by the opposition coalition, and one civilian agreed upon by both sides.

Al-Kabbashi disclosed that the prime minister is due to be formally appointed on Wednesday.

The main opposition coalition has nominated Abdulla Hamdok, a former senior UN official, as prime minister in the transitional government.