Sudanese army rulers and protesters failed yesterday to reach an agreement yet again on the make-up of a new ruling body as negotiations also became deadlocked over who should lead it, a civilian or soldier.

The two sides launched a round of new talks late Sunday over the sovereign council to rule Sudan for a three-year transitional period following last month’s ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

The military council that replaced him has faced international pressure to install a civilian-led administration, a key demand of thousands of demonstrators who have spent weeks camped outside Khartoum’s army headquarters.

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Late on Monday the military council and the protest movement the Alliance for Freedom and Change met again at the presidential palace to finalise the proposed ruling body but they were unable to clinch a deal.

Neither side said when talks would resume, but one of the protest leaders Siddiq Yousef told reporters that “the negotiations are suspended between us and the Transitional Military Council until there is a breakthrough”.

The ruling military council did not say if talks had been suspended.