KHARTOUM: The head of Sudan’s ruling military council said on Wednesday it was ready to meet an opposition alliance to negotiate the country’s transition towards democracy. The offer of fresh talk came from military junta after earlier talks had collapsed following the deadly dispersal of a sit-in protest.

‘We are ready to continue negotiations with the pro-democracy organization called DFCF (Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces),’ said Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan adding further, ‘We do not deny its role in the uprising or in the popular revolution, their leadership of the masses.’

Talks between the military council and the DFCF alliance had stalled before collapsing altogether when security forces stormed a protest camp outside the Defence Ministry on June 3, killing dozens of the innocent protesters.

Both the sides civilians and military had been wrangling for weeks over who would control a sovereign council to lead Sudan to elections. Burhan said the alliance should return to talks without preconditions. ‘The solution must be satisfactory in favor of all the Sudanese people,’ he said. ‘We pledge to you and pledge to the people that we will not accept any solution that excludes any faction of the Sudanese people.’

The opposition had called for an international inquiry to investigate into the sit-in dispersal before rejoining further talks with military junta. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the African Union have been trying to mediate between the sides to resume the talks between the two opposing groups after the forced dispersal of sit-in protesters. (Agencies)