Sudan’s army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan vowed Saturday to protect and implement the power-sharing deal agreed with protesters that aims to end the country’s months-long political crisis.

 

“We, as the military council, promise to protect what has been agreed upon and ensure that it is implemented,” Burhan said in a statement broadcast live on state television.

 

The Alliance for Freedom and Change and the ruling military council agreed on Friday to form a joint ruling body, which in turn is to install a transitional civilian administration – the protesters’ main demand.

 

Prominent protest leaders Ahmed al-Rabie and Khalid Omar confirmed to AFP that the civil disobedience campaign had been canceled.

 

“It is to give room for the agreement” to be implemented, Rabie said.

 

A deal is expected to be ready for signing by the two sides early next week, although the draft has postponed the formation of a 300-seat transitional parliament that had been agreed upon in previous talks.