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The ruling generals in Sudan and a coalition of protest groups are scheduled to meet on Friday to pursue crucial talks in anticipation of signing a power-sharing agreement earlier in the week.
The African Union-backed talks between the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the Alliance of Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) have been confronted with a series of setbacks and delays since the overthrow long-time president Omar al-Bashir in April following popular demonstrations against his autocratic regime.
Progress towards a final political agreement has been slow and tainted by deadly violence against pro-democracy protesters, casting doubt on the demonstrators' hopes of having a civilian regime.
Here's all you need to know about efforts to resolve the political stalemate in Sudan.
What has been agreed so far?
After a long period of unresolved negotiations, the two sides signed a political agreement Wednesday to create a joint governing body responsible for creating a transitional administration that would govern for a little over three years, after which elections would be held.
The eleven-member governing body, called the Sovereign Council, will be composed of five military members chosen by the TMC and five civilians chosen by the FFC. The remaining member will be a civilian chosen by consensus between the two parties.
The body will be led by a general during the first 21 months of the transition, followed by a civilian during the remaining 18 months.
The umbrella protest movement will appoint the prime minister, who will appoint a cabinet of 20 ministers, excluding ministers of interior and defense, the agreement announced. Military personnel of the Sovereign Council will appoint these two leaders.
Learn more about the political agreement here.
What happens next?
The TMC and the FFC will meet on Friday for negotiations on key issues that remain crucial for a successful transition.
The aim is to clarify the details of the "constitutional declaration", which will determine the powers and functions of the Sovereign Council.
Hiba Morgan, of Al Jazeera, said the negotiations on this more controversial document intended to complete the political agreement should "take days", highlighting a number of blocking points.
The most controversial issue should be the TMC's demand for "absolute" immunity from prosecutionor the military personalities who will be part of the new joint governing body.
The protest movement has firmly rejected the general immunity in the face of growing concerns about the effectiveness of an independent investigation with the army still in charge. The event organizers suggested proposing a "temporary immunity" as long as the member is on duty.
The issue mainly concerns the deadly raid carried out on June 3 against the sit-in in front of the army headquarters in Khartoum, center of the several months struggle of protesters for a civilian regime.
According to witnesses, the crackdown on protesters was carried out by the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also deputy head of the TMC, dismissed the accusation, saying that it was an attempt to distort the image of his troops .
According to doctors linked to the opposition, at least 128 people were killed during the raid and the ensuing violence, with dozens of bodies found on the Nile. The authorities confirmed 61 deaths.
"This type of immunity is a big problem … it even contradicts international law because it does not provide immunity for war crimes or human rights violations. "Man," AFP Faisal Mohamed Salih, a Sudanese political badyst, told AFP.
"If the Transitional Military Council remains stubborn, then it will be a rock on the road to an agreement," Salih said.
Al Jazeera's Morgan said the TMC "may be forced to abide by this rule and give in to certain conditions", otherwise opposition supporters will not agree.
Protesters continue to hold rallies to honor those killed since the beginning of their movement in December 2018.
"Just on Thursday, thousands of people took part in rallies and organized a temporary sit-in in Khartoum to hold accountable the leaders of the protesters killed during the sit-in attack," Morgan said.
"They are the foundation of the FFC, and not meeting this requirement of accountability and allowing the TMC to enjoy absolute immunity will also weaken the FFC," she added.
What other obstacles are in place?
At the same time, some members of the FFC rejected the agreement reached between the two parties, saying that it did not meet the expectations of the protesters.
Morgan of Al Jazeera, said the FFC had taken up the challenge of maintaining a united front during the negotiations.
"The armed groups have rejected the political agreement, as well as several other parties and movements within the FFC," she said, speaking from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Sudanese authorities have closed the Al Jazeera office in Khartoum and banned its journalists from reporting in the country.
"In case of disagreement, there is a risk of fracturing the FFC and that's something they can not afford for the moment," Morgan said.
She added that the umbrella protest movement will have to convince its various factions that the deal was not as bad as they thought.
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