Sudan protest leaders seek supporters' view to end deadlock

Sudan's protest leaders said Thursday they will seek advice from demonstrators camped outside army headquarters on how to break the deadlock in talks with the military council on installing civilian rule.

Talks between the two sides have been suspended since Monday after a disagreement over who should lead a new governing body -- a civilian or the military.

The protest movement, the Alliance for Freedom and Change, said it will launch a campaign to urge demonstrators who have been rallying for weeks outside army headquarters in Khartoum, and in other cities, to come up with a solution to break the deadlock.

"We will give them all the information, we will listen to their views on how they want to go ahead with the revolution," the umbrella protest group said in a statement.

The group has led the nationwide protest movement against longtime leader Omar al-Bashir that finally led to his ouster on April 11.

The generals who seized power after Bashir was toppled have resisted calls from the demonstrators and the international community to step down, insisting that a new governing body be headed by an officer.

"We have one pending issue with the Transitional Military Council, the composition of the new sovereign council for which we have no agreement," said the alliance.

The statement, addressing thousands of supporters camped outside army headquarters, warned of "alternatives" to put pressure on the general.

"We have all alternatives, to launch a strike or a civil disobedience movement. The decision is yours," it said.

On Thursday, employees of several companies as well as government institutions, including the central bank, held spontaneous demonstrations in parts of Khartoum in support of the protest movement, witnesses said.

Several rounds of talks have failed to finalise the makeup of the new ruling body, with both the generals and protest leaders insisting on their demands.