Sudan's new military council promises civilian cabinet

CAIRO, Apr 15 (AP): Sudan's new ruling military council announced on Sunday that it will name a civilian prime minister and Cabinet but not a president to help govern the country following the coup that removed longtime leader Omar al-Bashir.

An army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Shamseldin Kibashi, also said in televised remarks that the military had begun to overhaul security organizations and would not break up demonstrations that have continued outside the military headquarters since Thursday's coup.

The statement came after a second day of meetings between the army and organizers of the months of escalating street protests that led to al-Bashir's ouster.

The announcement was unlikely to satisfy protesters, who have demanded full civilian rule. Protest organizers have urged the military to "immediately and unconditionally" hand power to a transitional civilian government that would rule for four years.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, which has spearheaded the protests, also posted a nine-point list of demands earlier Sunday, including prosecution of those behind the Islamist-backed military coup in 1989, dissolution of all pro-government unions, a freeze on the assets of top officials in al-Bashir's government and dismissal of all top judges and prosecutors.

There was no immediate comment from opposition figures about the military's announcement.

After Saturday's talks, Omer el-Digair, leader of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party, told protesters at a sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum that the atmosphere had been "positive."

He said that the talks would focus on submitting the organizers' demands and transition plan and that they are calling for dissolving al-Bashir's ruling National Congress Party.

"We demanded restructuring the current security apparatus," el-Digair said. "We do not need a security apparatus that detains people and shuts off newspapers."

The political parties and movements behind the four months of protests said in a joint statement late Saturday that they would remain in the streets until their demands are met. They said a handover to civilian rule would be the "first step toward the fall of the regime."

After the coup, the army appointed a military council that it says will rule for two years or less while elections are organized.