Sudan's protest movement accepted an Ethiopian road map for a civilian-led transitional government, a spokesman said, after a months-long standoff with the country's military rulers who rejected the Ethiopian initiative. The country's ruling military council has rejected the road map to resolve the crisis between civilians and military in Sudan, as the stalemate has continued in the conflict-hit country.

The military council also stated that Ethiopia and the African Union needed to unify their efforts to mediate between the council and an opposition coalition on the structure of the country's transitional government. The Ethiopian initiative proposed formation of a sovereignty council composed of 15 members, seven from the military and seven civilians, in addition to an independent civilian to be appointed via consultation between the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the opposition alliance.

The generals and the opposition have been wrangling for weeks over what form Sudan's transitional government should take after the military deposed long-time president Omar al-Bashir on April 11. Sudanese authorities must grant human rights monitors access to the country and end "repression" against protesters and restore the country's internet, U.N. human rights head Michelle Bachelet said yesterday. Her office had received reports that more than 100 protesters were killed and many more injured during an assault by security forces on a peaceful sit-in outside the defense ministry on June 3, she said.