Sudan military rulers, protesters to sign political deal on Saturday

A political transition agreement between Sudan’s military and a pro-democracy coalition is expected to be signed on Saturday, a top African Union diplomat, Mohammed el-Hassan Labat, said early Friday.

The transition agreement sets up a joint sovereign council that will rule for a little over three years while elections are organized, AP said.

The announcement came just hours after the Sudanese military claimed it thwarted an attempted military coup. “Officers and soldiers from the army and National Intelligence and Security Service, some of them retired, were trying to carry out a coup,” General Jamal Omar said.