Sudanese generals and protest leaders have signed a declaration on the transition to civilian rule in the violence-ravaged country, which for decades has been ruled with the iron hand of Omar al-Bashir.
The dictator's fall in April this year became the starting point for month-long protests, which were brutally beaten down in early June, when Sudanese security forces attacked a sitting demonstration, killing 60-100 people.
Dignitaries and ordinary people
The so-called constitutional declaration, which states the conditions for the transitional period, was signed already on August 4, but does not take effect until after Saturday's solemn signing in Khartum. Foreign dignitaries as well as thousands of Sudanese have been flocked to the capital for the ceremony.
The guest list includes Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is said to have been a key player in negotiating the deal.
The agreement is also celebrated elsewhere in the vast country.
- Civilian government! Civilian Governance! scanned a crowd in the city of Atbara, where the protests began last December, during the night against Saturday, according to the AFP news agency.
Transitional advice is presented
On Sunday, the next milestone will occur, when the members of the Civil-Military Governing Council will be announced. The protest leaders have nominated Abdalla Hamdok, former head of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), for the post of prime minister, according to AFP.
As a new leader, Hamdok will be responsible for steering Sudan's troubled economy, which suffered a major blow when the oil-rich South Sudan in 2011 broke away to form a new country. The posts of the Ministry of the Interior and Defense are to be appointed by the military.
Despite the enthusiasm, many Sudanese are skeptical that the new institutions will be able to stand and act as a bulwark against the military during the three years remaining until elections are held.
"The biggest challenge for the future government will be to dismantle the Islamist deep state, which has taken control of all state institutions and central parts of the economy, including hundreds of companies owned by the military and security sphere," says Rosalind Marsden of the London-based Chatham House to AFP.
al-Bashir in court
While the new regime is taking shape, Omar al-Bashir is facing trial on Saturday, but not for the charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague directed against him.
Instead, financial crime, such as corruption and possession of foreign currencies, is at the center. Judges who have spoken to TT note that the Sudanese law gives room to prosecute al-Bashir for several of the human rights violations he has committed, but that the political will is lacking.