{"id":644150,"date":"2019-06-23T08:42:14","date_gmt":"2019-06-23T08:42:14","guid":{"rendered":"
\"Lieutenant<\/p>\n
\n
\"Lieutenant<\/div>\n

Protest leaders in Sudan have rejected a proposal to negotiate with military generals, maintaining the call is insincere as security forces continue to target protesters in a violent crackdown that has killed at least 60 people this week.<\/p>\n

Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) spokesman Mohammed Yousef al-Mustafa said Wednesday the call by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan \u201cis not serious,\u201d and \u201cthose under him have killed the Sudanese and are still doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The association, which is part of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), an alliance representing the protesters, will instead continue its pro-democracy campaign to force the military to hand over power to a civilian authority, al-Mustafa said.<\/p>\n

Burhan, head of the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC), said earlier Wednesday military leaders were ready to resume talks with protest leaders with \u201cno restrictions.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also said those responsible for the deadly breakup of the eight-week-old sit-in outside the Defense Ministry in central Khartoum would be held accountable.<\/p>\n

His remarks Wednesday contrasted sharply with those he made in a televised address Tuesday, when he said the council was halting negotiations and canceling its previous agreement to form an interim government with the FFC.<\/p>\n

Burhan also said a new government would immediately be formed and would rule until elections are held within the next nine months.<\/p>\n

The SPA quickly rejected that plan.<\/p>\n

Protest organizers said the death toll in the military crackdown climbed to 60 on Wednesday, deepening the impasse over Sudan\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

Protest groups and opposition parties have been demanding that the TMC, which took power after the army overthrew longtime president Omar al-Bashir on April 11, hand power to a civilian-led authority.<\/p>\n

Talks on the proposed interim government broke down over which side would have ultimate decision-making authority.<\/p>\n

\n
Get more stories like this on Twitter<\/a><\/i><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n