CAIRO — The African Union said on Tuesday that Sudan’s military rulers should hand over power to a civilian-led transitional authority within 60 days.

In a statement, the AU said it noted “with deep regret” that the military had not stepped aside and handed power to civilians within a 15-day period set by the AU last month.

The 60 days were a final extension for Sudan’s Transitional Military Council to hand over power to civilians, the AU said.

Meanwhile, the UAE said Wednesday it supported an “orderly” transition in Sudan.

“Totally legitimate for Arab states to support an orderly and stable transition in Sudan,” the UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said on Twitter. “One that carefully calibrates popular aspirations with institutional stability. We have experienced all-out chaos in the region and, sensibly, don’t need more of it,” Gargash said.

Sudanese protesters have called for a mass rally in the capital Khartoum on Thursday, insisting the army is not serious about handing power to civilians nearly three weeks after it toppled Bashir.

The army has so far rejected protesters’ demands for a civilian-led body to replace the ruling military council, saying that a proposed joint body should be led by current military ruler Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and have a military majority.

Sudan is heavily dependent on the financial support of its newfound Gulf Arab allies.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia last month pledged $3 billion in aid to Sudan. — Agencies