ADDIS ABABA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Saturday commended the Sudanese political stakeholders for the progress made in the negotiations towards ensuring a political transition.
The East African bloc, IGAD, also vowed to work closely work with the African Union (AU) to sustain political gains in Sudan, IGAD said in a statement issued on Saturday.
The regional bloc made the statement following Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) announcement on Wednesday that it has agreed with the major opposition forces on the rule structures and a three-year power transition period.
"We have agreed on powers of the sovereignty council, the council of ministers and the legislative council," said Lt. Gen. Yasser al-Atta, a TMC member, at a press conference in Khartoum early Wednesday.
The two sides have also agreed that "the transitional period duration will be three years," said the TMC member. "The first six months will be allotted for achieving peace all over Sudan."
"IGAD sincerely hopes that the Sudanese Political Stakeholders will continue to negotiate in good faith and a spirit of compromise to finalize their discussion on the remaining outstanding issues with a view to responding to the needs and aspirations of the Sudanese people," the statement read.
The regional bloc's council of ministers, during their recent 67th extraordinary session that was held early this month in South Sudan's capital Juba, had reaffirmed IGAD's and its member countries "continued engagement on the situation in the Sudan in a coordinated manner, within the African Union (AU) framework."
On Wednesday, Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat had commended the latest accord among Sudanese stakeholders for a political transition in Sudan.
Mohamed El Hacen Lebatt, the AU Chairperson's principal strategic adviser, is currently in Khartoum, capital of Sudan to oversee the AUC's technical support to the political transition process in Sudan, according to the AU.
