Sudan’s military leaders and the country’s pro-democracy opposition movement have formed an 11-member sovereign council to lead the country through a three-year transitional period towards civilian rule, state news agency SUNA reported.

The members of the Sovereign Council, made up of six civilians and five Transitional Military Council (TMC) officers will be sworn in Wednesday morning, SUNA said.

A prime minister is expected to be sworn in later in the day.

A spokesman for the TMC announced the names of the members of the council in a televised address late Tuesday.

For the initial 21 months the body will be led by TMC head Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan, who took over as Sudanese leader following the overthrow of long-time president Omar al-Bashir in April.

A civilian will take over for the remaining 18 months until 2022, when democratic elections are due.

The council was formed after a power-sharing deal was signed between the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the military on August 17, regulating how power is divided.

The deal gives the pro-democracy movement two-thirds of the seats in Sudan’s Legislative Council and the power to select the prime minister.

The military council will have the power to choose the interior and defence ministers.

For months, there have been massive demonstrations in Sudan.

The protests initially led to the ousting of al-Bashir, who had ruled the country in north-eastern Africa for three decades with an iron fist.

Protesters continued to call for civilian rule in the wake of his replacement by the Transitional Military Council.