WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th August, 2019) US Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale and Chairman of Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC), General Abdel Fattah el-Burhan, in a meeting discussed the necessity to establish a civil-led government for the transitional period, State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a readout on Thursday.
"They discussed the need for swift formation of a civilian-led transitional government in line with the recently-agreed political and constitutional documents, which the United States supports," Ortagus said about the meeting that took place on Wednesday.
The US Under Secretary, she added, also noted that the Sudanese transitional government has a mandate to probe recent acts of violence, prepare a new constitution, and organize free and fair elections. The interlocutors agreed that success will be critical to advancing the interests of both the United States and Sudan, Ortagus said.
On Sunday, representatives of the TMC and the Forces of Freedom and Change initialed the constitutional declaration. The document is due to be signed in two weeks and will become the country's main law during the period of transition to civilian rule.
The situation in Sudan escalated in early April when the country's military detained the long-term leader Omar Bashir. The TMC promised to hold a new election in two years' time, but continuing protesters exerted pressure on the military to negotiate to hand power to a new civilian government.
