Sudanese protesters plan mass rally as talks stall with army

Protesters walk towards the sitin protest outside the Sudanese military headquarters, in Khartoum, Sudan, Tuesday, May 14, 2019. Sudanese protesters say security agents loyal to ousted President Omar al-Bashir attacked their sit-ins overnight, setting off clashes that left six people dead, including an army officer, and heightened tensions as the opposition holds talks with the ruling military council. Both the protesters and the transitional military council say the violence was instigated by al-Bashir loyalists from within the security forces. (AP Photo)

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Sudan's protest leaders are calling for mass rallies across the country amid deadlocked negotiations with the ruling military over its handover of power.

The Sudanese Professionals' Association, which has spearheaded four months of protests that drove Omar al-Bashir from power in April, says it's also calling for a "million man march" outside the military headquarters in Khartoum.

Thursday's statement, posted on Facebook, says the protesters want to denounce the ruling generals' resistance to relinquish power to a sovereign council that both side had already agreed should lead the country during the transitional period.

There are also indications that the SPA, a union umbrella, may call for a general strike.

The two sides have held several rounds of talks since the military overthrew al-Bashir on April 11, ending his 30-year reign.