Sudan talks to resume as 'dispute' over top job persists

Sudan's army rulers and protesters resume talks Monday to finalise the makeup of a new ruling body after overnight negotiations remained deadlocked following a "dispute" over who should lead it.

The two sides launched a round of new talks Sunday evening over the form of the authority to rule Sudan for a three-year transitional period following last month's ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

The military council that replaced him has faced international pressure to install a civilian-led administration -- a key demand of thousands of demonstrators who have spent weeks camped outside Khartoum's army headquarters.

Hours of overnight meetings into the early hours of Monday ended without agreement, but the ruling military council announced the talks would resume again Monday evening at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) at the presidential palace.

A prominent leader of an umbrella protest group who was at the talks said the question of who would head the body had been a key sticking point.

"The dispute over the presidency of the sovereign council" was ongoing, said Satea al-Haj of the Alliance for Freedom and Change, which led the nationwide campaign against Bashir.

"The military council is still insisting that the president of the sovereign council should be from the military," he said.

"They are justifying it by saying the country faces security threats." The protest movement insists that civilians must form the majority of the body's members, a demand backed by major world powers, Haj added.

"The international community and the African Union will not accept to deal with a military government," he said.

"The people also want a civilian government."