Governance-Sudan rebels criticize protesters' deal with the army

Sudanese rebel groups have criticized a power-sharing deal between the military and the country's pro-democracy movement aimed at ending the weekslong political deadlock. The protest leaders in the capital, Khartoum, and the ruling military made public an agreement to form a joint government on Friday.

A faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Minnawi, said late Friday a peace deal had to be reached with rebel groups before embarking on the deal's planned transition. Another faction of the SLM, led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur, slammed the deal as a "betrayal of the revolution." The SLM — then fighting an insurgency in the Darfur region — split into rival factions in 2004.

Minnawi has joined a political coalition with the protesters, while al-Nur refused to take part in the movement.