KHARTOUM, Sudan -                      After foiling a military coup, the Sudan army, reveals it has arrested several high-ranking officers and senior members of the former governing National Congress Party (NCP).

According a local media, it is not clear exactly when the coup attempt happened, but the authorities could be referring to one that allegedly took place earlier this month.

This news comes as the military generals running Sudan and the opposition protest movement is due to continue efforts to finalize details of a power-sharing deal.

Those arrested include the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Hashim Abdel Mottalib Ahmed, and the head of the armored brigade, Maj Gen Nasr al-Din.

Also detained were former Vice-President Bakri Hassan Salih and a foreign minister who had served under the deposed President Omar al-Bashir

A military statement said the failed coup was an attempt to return the former NCP regime to power.

The new head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Mohamed Othman al-Hussein said:

“The failed coup attempt’s goal was… to disrupt the path before the expected political solution that aims to establish a civilian state that the Sudanese people dream of”.

Despite deep mistrust, military generals, the opposition protest movement and rebel groups are trying to negotiate the details of a deal to share power.