Sudan's transitional military council and protest leaders have initialed a constitutional declaration which will pave the way for the formation of a transitional administration.

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), and Ahmed Rabie, a senior member of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), initialed the document on Sunday at a ceremony in Khartoum that was attended by African Union and Ethiopian mediators.

A formal signing ceremony of the declaration will be held on 17 August with the prime minister and ministers announced soon after.

FFC negotiator and Sudanese opposition figure Omar al-Digair said the constitutional declaration will pave the way for the formation of a civilian government in the country.

However, he said a lot of uncertainty remains about the future of Sudan, pointing out that nation-building will not be easy.  Omar noted that the transitional government will focus on reconciliation and inclusivity to move the country forward.

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC), said the people of Sudan have managed to overcome difficult moments. He reiterated the military council’s commitment to implement the agreement.

 Dagalo, who also commands a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, promised to try those who killed demonstrators.

African Union mediator Mohamed Hassan Lebatt said the African Union will witness the formal signing ceremony of the document on 17 August. He further said both two sides will put their final signatures on the deal in the presence of regional leaders.

The two sides reached the agreement on Friday after protracted talks.

The agreement, which is due to be signed officially after two weeks, envisages civilians appointed to six of the 11 seats on a sovereign council, which will become the highest decision-making body overseeing the transition to democracy.

The deal outlines the terms of a three-year transitional period agreed last month by the ruling military council and opposition leaders.