KHARTOUM - Sudanese troops were deployed in the streets of Khartoum following the Transitional Military Council's announcement Thursday that it had stopped a coup attempt by military officers.
"After an accurate monitoring, the security forces have arrested [a] number of senior and junior officers who plotted for this failed coup attempt," the head of the TMC's security and defense committee, Lieutenant General Jamal Omar, said on state television. "Their number is 12 and now they are under arrest and we will hunt down the others who were involved in the failed attempt, including the head of the coup attempt."
Omar said the alleged coup attempt was aimed at halting the power-sharing agreement between the TMC and the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change.
A leading member of the FFC, Faisal Babikir, said the coup attempt was led by soldiers still allied with ousted president Omar al-Bashir, who the military overthrew in April after months of mass anti-government protests.
"I believe that these are serious attempts to foil the power sharing deal we agreed upon as TMC and FFC, so I also believe that this attempt may not be the last one," Babikir said.
The TMC and FFC have said they are putting the last technical touches on the power-sharing deal.
African Union mediators have said the sides will sign the final agreement very soon.
