Army ousts Bashir, protesters vow to keep up demonstrations
Sudan’s army ousted veteran president Omar Al Bashir on Thursday, but protestors switly rejected a “coup” by the military and vowed to keep up their demonstrations.
In a sombre televised address, Defence Minister Awad Ibnouf announced “the toppling of the regime” and said Bashir had been detained in “a secure place,” bringing an end to his threedecade rule.
A transitional military council will replace the president for two years, he said, adding that the country’s borders and airspace would be shut until further notice.
But in a warning to protestors, he also imposed a night-time curfew from 10:00pm (2000 GMT) to 4:00am (0200 GMT).
UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres called for a transition in Sudan that meets the “democratic aspiration” of the Sudanese.
Guterres appealed for “calm and utmost restraint by all,” his spokesman said.
The African Union (AU) criticised the ouster and called for calm and restraint.
“The military take-over is not the appropriate response to the challenges facing Sudan and the aspirations of its people,” said a statement from Moussa Faki, chairman of the AU Commission.
He said the AU’S Peace and Security Council would meet “switly to consider the situation and take the appropriate decisions.”
The statement said that Faki called for “all concerned to exercise calm and utmost restraint and to respect the rights of citizens, foreign nationals and private property in the interest of the country and its people.”
He urged all involved to “engage in an inclusive dialogue to create the conditions that will make it possible to meet the aspirations of the Sudanese people to democracy, good governance and well-being and restore constitutional order as soon as possible.” Bashir should be handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Amnesty International said.
The London-based human rights organisation also urged the military authorities to ensure that new emergency laws do not undermine civil liberties.
“The people do not want a transitional military council,” said Alaa Salah, who became an icon of the protest movement ater a video of her leading demonstrators’ chants outside army headquarters went viral.
“Change will not happen with Bashir’s entire regime hoodwinking Sudanese civilians through a military coup,” she tweeted.
“We want a civilian council to head the transition.”
The protestors’ Alliance for Freedom and Change said the regime had “conducted a military coup by bringing back the same faces and the same institutions which our people rose against.”
It urged people “to continue their sit-in in front of army headquarters and across all regions and in the streets.”
Since early Thursday morning, huge crowds of jubilant Sudanese had filled squares across the centre of Khartoum as the army promised an “important announcement.”
Chanting “the regime has fallen,” they poured into the open ground outside army headquarters, where defiant protesters had braved tear gas and gunfire to keep up an unprecedented sit-in, now in its sixth day.
But the festive mood later soured, as protestors chanted: “We don’t want Ibnouf!”
“We are not leaving, we are not leaving. Just fall and that’s all,” they shouted.
The opposition Sudanese Congress Party called on the military council to dissolve itself and form “a joint military and civilian council to run the government for a four-year transition term.”
It also urged the army to give executive powers to civilians.
Troops raided the offices of the Islamic Movement, the ideological wing of Bashir’s ruling National Congress Party, witnesses said.
Martial music was played on state television as soldiers ordered the TV to halt its normal programming ahead of Ibnouf’s announcement.
The military council said it was declaring a ceasefire across the country, including in wartorn Darfur.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s feared intelligence service said it was freeing all the country’s political prisoners, state media reported.
“The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) has announced it is releasing all political detainees across the country,” the official SUNA news agency said.
Ex-president detained in a secure place, says defence minister; AU slams ouster, calls for calm and restraint; transition must meet democratic aspiration of the Sudanese, urges UN