Opposition chief demands Sudan join ICC as talks held on civil rule

A top opposition leader called Saturday for Sudan to join the International Criminal Court which has indicted its ousted president Omar al-Bashir, as a panel of protesters and the military met to discuss civilian rule.

Sadiq al-Mahdi, a former prime minister and head of the opposition National Umma Party that has backed the protests, also told reporters that the army's ouster of Bashir was "not a military coup".

His comments came as a joint committee representing the ruling military leadership and protesters held their first meeting to discuss a demand by demonstrators for a handover to civilian rule.

Rashid al-Sayed, a spokesman for the protest movement, said the meeting was a confidence-building step between both sides who are "partners in the revolution" and a second round was due later on Saturday.

He said the military council vowed at the talks that a vast protest camp outside army headquarters "will not be dispersed by force".

Bashir was ousted by the army on April 11 after months of protests against his three-decade rule.

Thousands of demonstrators reached the sprawling military headquarters in central Khartoum on April 6, demanding that the army support those opposing Bashir.

Five days later, the army toppled Bashir but then took power into its own hands through a 10-member transitional military council.

The protesters, who have kept up the pressure round-the-clock outside army headquarters for weeks, are now demanding that the council step down and make way for a civilian government.

"We are happy with the progress made in the talks," protester Roaa Ahmed told AFP.

"The fact that no time frames have been set is justified given that it's early in the talks."
"We won't leave until we have civil rule and laws guaranteeing freedom of expression."