Sudan’s military ends 30-year rule of autocrat

CAIRO — Sudan’s military overthrew president Omar al-Bashir on Thursday after months of bloody protests against his repressive 30-year rule. But pro-democracy demonstrators vowed to keep up their campaign in the streets after the military said it would govern the country for the next two years.

Al-Bashir’s fall came a week after Algeria’s long-ruling, militarybacked president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, was driven from power. Together, the developments echoed the Arab Spring uprisings eight years ago that brought down autocrats across the Mideast.

The announcement of the arrest and removal of the 75-year-old al-Bashir was made by a veteran insider in his government, Defence Minister Awad Mohammed Ibn Ouf, who is under U.S. sanctions for links to atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur conflict.

Ibn Ouf said a military council that will be formed by the army, intelligence and security apparatus will rule for two years, after which “free and fair elections” will take place. Sudan’s state-run media said Ibn Ouf was being sworn in as head of the new council.

The defence chief also announced that the military had suspended the constitution, dissolved the government, declared a state of emergency for three months, closed the country’s borders and airspace and imposed a curfew.

Protesters who were initially jubilant over word of the coup reacted by saying they will not end their nearly week-long sit-in outside the military’s headquarters in central Khartoum until a civilian transition government is formed.

Well after nightfall, tens of thousands beat drums, sang and chanted slogans against the armed forces and Ibn Ouf. One of the organizations leading the protest said people were staying in the streets in defiance of a curfew.