Sudan forms joint sovereign council

Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) on Tuesday approved the formation of a joint sovereign council of 11 members, TMC's spokesman Shams-Eddin Kabashi announced.

Sudan's Head of Transitional Military Council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and Sudan's opposition alliance coalition's leader Ahmad al-Rabiah, celebrate the signing of the power sharing deal, that paves the way for a transitional government, and eventual elections in Khartoum, Sudan, August 17, 2019. [File photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah]

The announcement came a day after the trial of Omar al-Bashir, the former Sudanese president, who faces corruption charges.

"The TMC chairman issued a constitutional decree forming the sovereign council under the chairmanship of Lit. Gen. Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan," Kabashi said at a press conference.

Al-Burhan will take the constitutional oath before the chief justice on Wednesday, while the members of the council will take the oath in front of the chairman, noted Kabashi.

He also said that the prime minister would be appointed on Wednesday and take the constitutional oath before the chairman of the sovereign council and chief justice the same day.

Earlier, the opposition Freedom and Change Alliance agreed to name Sudanese economist Abdalla Hamdok as prime minister.

Under the deal signed by the TMC with the opposition, the sovereign council comprises 11 members, including five military members chosen by the TMC, five civilian members chosen by the opposition alliance, and one civilian selected through consultation by the two sides.

The five military members include Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Daqlu, Yasir Abdel-Rahman Al-Atta, Shams-Eddin Kabashi and Ibrahim Jabir.

The five civilian members include Aisha Mousa, Hasan Sheikh-Eddin Idris, Sidiq Tawer, Mohamed Al-Faki Suleiman and Mohamed Al-Hassan Al-Taishi.

Another civilian member of the council, who was chosen jointly, is Raja Nicola Abdel-Maseeh.

A constitutional decree is expected to be issued on Wednesday to dissolve the TMC, which has been running the country's affairs since the ouster of former President al-Bashir on April 11.