ousted Omar al-Bashir

The organisers of Sudan’s protests have threatened a general strike and civil disobedience as tensions escalate with the military council that assumed power after the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir.

The Sudanese Professionals Association and its allies, which organised the four months of demonstrations that drove al-Bashir from power on April 11, accused the generals of clinging to power.

The two sides have been negotiating the formation of a new transitional government but are divided over the role of the military, which is dominated by al-Bashir appointees.

The organisers have called for a Thursday mass rally, while the military has warned against any further “chaos.” The generals have demanded the protesters clear roadblocks around their sit-in outside the military’s headquarters in the capital, Khartoum.

Meanwhile the African Union has given SMC rulers a 60 day ultimatum to hand over power to a civilian-led transitional authority.

The AU in a statement said, it noted “with deep regret” that the military had not stepped aside and handed power to civilians within a 15-day period set by the AU last month.

The 60 days were a final extension for Sudan’s Transitional Military Council to hand over power to civilians, the AU said.