KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan’s ruling military council on Friday promised the country would have a new civilian government, a day after the armed forces overthrew President Omar al-Bashir after 30 years in power.

The council, which is now running Sudan under Defence Minister Mohammed Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, said it expects a pre-election transition period it announced on Thursday to last two years at most or much less if chaos can be avoided.

The council also announced that it would not extradite Bashir to face allegations of genocide at the international war crimes court. Instead he would go on trial in Sudan.

Friday’s announcement of a civilian government by the head of the military council’s political committee, General Omar Zain al-Abideen, appeared aimed at reassuring demonstrators who took to the streets to warn against imposing army rule after Bashir’s overthrow.

Abideen pledged that the military council would not interfere with the civilian government. However he said the defense and interior ministries would be under the council’s control.

He said the military council had no solutions to Sudan’s crisis and these would come from the protesters.

“We are the protectors of the demands of the people,” he said. “We are not greedy for power.”

Earlier on Friday, thousands of Sudanese demonstrators camped outside the defense ministry to push for a civilian government, defying a curfew and calling for mass prayers.

Demonstrators who have been holding almost daily anti-Bashir protests have rejected the decision to set up a transitional military council and vowed to continue protests until a civilian government is established.

Activists called for mass Friday prayers outside the defense ministry compound, a focal point for protests.

At the compound, large tents were put up and people brought in food and handed out water as the crowd swelled, a Reuters witness said. Ahmed al-Sadek, a 39-year-old trader, said he had not slept at his home since the sit-in began on Saturday.

Activists wearing yellow vests controlled traffic around the compound on Friday morning and managed foot traffic to and from the sit-in, a Reuters witness said. They also blocked a major bridge in central Khartoum.

Bashir, 75, had faced 16 weeks of demonstrations against him.

World powers, including the United States and Britain, said they supported a peaceful and democratic transition sooner than two years.

Ibn Auf is included on Washington’s list of Specially Designated Nationals for his role during the Darfur conflict, meaning all his assets in the U.S. were frozen and Americans were banned from doing business with him, the U.S. embassy said.

Ibn Auf said on Thursday that Bashir was being detained in a “safe place” and a military council - which it was later announced he is heading - would now run the country. Sudanese sources told Reuters that Bashir was at the presidential residence under “heavy guard”.

The political committee will meet political parties and foreign diplomats during the course of Friday, state media reported.

Ibn Auf also announced a state of emergency, a nationwide ceasefire and the suspension of the constitution. He also said there would be a curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The main organizer of protests against Bashir, the Sudanese Professionals Association, rejected Ibn Auf’s plans. It called on protesters to maintain their sit-in outside the defense ministry.

In a challenge to the military council, several thousand protesters remained in front of the defense ministry compound, and in other parts of the capital, as the curfew went into effect.

They chanted “They removed a thief and brought a thief!” and “Revolution! Revolution!”

Some shops in Omdurman, across the River Nile from central Khartoum, remained open past 10 p.m., a Reuters witness said.

Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague and is facing an arrest warrant over allegations of genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region during an insurgency that began in 2003 and led to the death of an estimated 300,000 people. He denies the allegations.

Bashir’s downfall was the second time this month that a leader in the region has been forced out after mass demonstrations. Algeria’s Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in power since 1999, stepped down on April 2 after six weeks of protests.</s>"I announce my resignation from this post and the choice of the one in whose experience I trust … after consultations, Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan was appointed new head of the Transitional Military Council", Ibn Auf said in a televised address broadcast by Arabic TV channels.

Al-Burhan has served as chief of staff of the Sudanese Ground Forces since the army command reshuffle in February 2018.

On Thursday, Ibn Auf announced the establishment of a military council that would govern the country for two years.

"We are seeking the immediate transfer of power, not in a month or two years from now. The forces that are seeking reforms have specific demands on following the democratic path that will solve the corruption issue and other problems that resulted from the rule of the salvation government [of former President Omar Bashir]", Youssef said.

READ MORE: EU Calls for Power Handover to Civilian Transitional Govt in Sudan

He pointed out that members of the military council were part of Bashir’s elite circle.

According to Youssef, the Sudanese people likewise oppose the curfew imposed after Thursday's coup.

Sudan has seen months of protests that first erupted in the country in December. The rallies were initially triggered by a rise in the prices of bread and other consumer goods that greatly increased the food vulnerability of Sudanese citizens. The protests then took on a new dimension as Sudanese citizens started calling for the resignation of Bashir, who had been in power for nearly 30 years.

READ MORE: Saudia Airline Suspends Flights to Sudan Over Coup — Company</s>Sudanese Defense Minister Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf stepped down as the transitional military council late Friday, a day after he announced the removal of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir.

Ibn Auf, who is under US sanctions for supporting genocidal militias in the Darfur region, had been under international pressure to establish a civilian transitional government. He said General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Abdulrahman would succeed him as the council's leader.

Read more: 'The media is under siege in Sudan'
• "I, the head of the military council, announce I am giving up the post."
• "This is for the benefit of our nation."
• "This country has great people and a great army."

Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Adbin, the military council's political committee chief, said: "The role of the military council is to protect the security and stability of the country. This is not a military coup but taking the side of the people."

But Khalid Omer, who leads the opposition Sudanese Congress Party, told DW: "They (military council) are trying to steal the revolution. If you want to engage in genuine dialogue you wouldn't suspend the constitution."

On the back of popular protests, the Sudanese military on Thursday removed longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir from power in a move widely seen as a coup.

What first began as protests against rising food prices quickly morphed into a sustained challenge against al-Bashir's 30-year rule. The protests gained a boost last week when Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stepped down after protests against his two decades in power.

Al-Bashir's removal resembled similar military interventions against longtime rulers in other countries in the region during the so-called Arab Spring of 2011.

Despite the immediate jubilation surrounding al-Bashir's downfall, the military intervention risks replacing one dictatorship with another, dashing protesters' hopes for a civilian government and opening the way for further instability.

Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.</s>Sudan’s army has detained President Omar al-Bashir after he was removed from power in the wake of the protests that escalated against his 30-year rule.

“I announce as minister of defence the toppling of the regime and detaining its chief in a secure place,” said Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, Sudanese defence minister and army general, on state television on Thursday.

Ibn Auf, according to Reuters, said the 75-year-old veteran leader had been detained in a “safe place” and a military council would now run the country.

“A military council will take control of the country for two years, after which elections would be held,” he added.

The army general disclosed that the African nation had been suffering from “poor management, corruption, and an absence of justice”.

The defence minister thereafter announced a state of emergency, a nationwide ceasefire and the suspension of the constitution.

The president was overthrown in a coup by the armed forces following a series of protests in Khartoum, capital of the country. The protesters had demanded his resignation.

There were also reports that some senior figures close to President al-Bashir in the ruling National Congress party had been detained.</s>KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan’s defense minister stepped down abruptly on Friday as head of the country’s transitional ruling military council after only a day in the post, as protesters demanded quicker political change following President Omar al-Bashir’s ouster by the armed forces.

Hours after the military council sought to calm public anger by promising a new civilian government, Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf said in a televised speech he was quitting as head of the council.

Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman will be the new head of the council, Ibn Auf said. He also said Chief of Staff Kamal Abdelmarouf al-Mahi was relieved of his position as deputy head of the transitional military council.

“In order to ensure the cohesion of the security system, and the armed forces in particular, from cracks and strife, and relying on God, let us begin this path of change,” Ibn Auf said.

Rashid Saeed, a spokesman for the main protest group, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), welcomed the move.

“What happened is a step in the right direction and is a bow to the will of the masses, and we have become closer to victory,” he told Reuters.

“We are committed to our demands that we submitted to the army. We call on the masses to stay on the streets until all the demands are met.”

The military council said earlier that it expected a pre-election transition to last two years at most or much less if chaos can be avoided. The head of the military council’s political committee, Omar Zain al-Abideen, also said the council would hold a dialogue with political entities.

The announcement of a future civilian government appeared aimed at reassuring demonstrators who had pressed for months for Bashir’s departure and who quickly resumed protests against army rule after his ouster on Thursday, calling for quicker and more substantial change.

But the SPA dismissed that, saying the military council was “not capable of creating change”. In a statement, the group restated its demand for power to be handed immediately to “a transitional civilian government”.

Bashir, 75, himself seized power in a 1989 military coup. He had faced 16 weeks of demonstrations sparked by rising food costs, high unemployment and increasing repression during his three decades of autocratic rule.

Worshippers packed the streets around the Defence Ministry for Friday prayers, heeding a call by the SPA to challenge the military council. The numbers swelled in the afternoon and a Reuters witness estimated hundreds of thousands of protesters thronged areas around the ministry, which was guarded by soldiers.

“We do not reject a military council in principle, but we reject these people because they are from Bashir’s regime,” said Abdelhamid Ahmed, a 24-year-old doctor.

Ibn Auf was Bashir’s vice president and defense minister and is among a handful of Sudanese commanders who Washington imposed sanctions on over their alleged role during atrocities committed in the Darfur conflict that began in 2003.

Announcing Bashir’s ouster on Thursday and the creation of the military council, Ibn Auf also announced a state of emergency, a nationwide ceasefire and the suspension of the constitution, as well as a nighttime curfew. Those steps were criticized as heavy-handed by rights groups.

Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman was the third most senior general in the Sudanese armed forces and is not known in public life. He was the head of Sudan’s ground forces, a role in which he oversaw Sudanese troops that fought in the Saudi-led Yemen war.

Sudan’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Yasir Abdalla Abdelsalam Ahmed told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that any democratic process in the country required time, and he urged the international community to support a peaceful transition.

“No party will be excluded from the political process, including armed groups,” he told the council during a meeting on Abyei, a contested border region claimed by Sudan and South Sudan. The 15-member council convened later on Friday behind closed doors to be briefed on the latest developments in Sudan.

“Moreover, the suspension of the constitution could be lifted at any point and the transitional period could be shortened depending on developments on the ground and agreements reached between stakeholders,” the Sudanese envoy said.

World powers, including the United States and Britain, said they supported a peaceful and democratic transition sooner than two years. China said it would continue to seek cooperation with Sudan regardless of the political situation.

Zain al-Abideen said the military council would not interfere with a civilian government. However he said the defense and interior ministries would be under its control.

Zain al-Abideen said the military council itself had no solutions to Sudan’s crisis and these would come from the protesters.

“We are not greedy for power,” he said. “We will not dictate anything to the people. We want to create an atmosphere to manage a peaceful dialogue”.

He said the council would meet on Friday with political entities to prepare a “climate for dialogue.” But this was later postponed.

The council said it did not invite Bashir’s National Congress Party to join the dialogue because “it is responsible for what happened”.

It warned protesters that the army would not tolerate unrest.

Ibn Auf said on Thursday that Bashir was being detained in a “safe place”. Sudanese sources told Reuters he was at the presidential residence under heavy guard.

The council said on Friday it would not extradite Bashir, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Bashir is facing an arrest warrant over accusations of genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region during an insurgency that began in 2003 and led to the death of an estimated 300,000 people. He denies the allegations.</s>(Bloomberg) -- Sudan’s army overthrew President Omar al-Bashir and announced it would rule the oil-producing North African nation through a military council for the next two years.

First Vice President and Defense Minister Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, speaking Thursday in a nationwide broadcast, announced a three-month state of emergency, a suspension of the constitution and the release of political prisoners. Al-Bashir, who took power in a 1989 coup, is being held under house arrest, he said.

The army’s ouster of al-Bashir came after four months of protests and ends the rule of one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
• Army disbanded the National Assembly and the state governments
• A supreme security council, made up of the intelligence, military, police and other branches has been monitoring for some time what has been happening
• Security committee warned the presidency, but the regime “kept repeating slogans and fake promises”

To contact the reporters on this story: Mohammed Alamin in Khartoum at malamin1@bloomberg.net;Tarek El-Tablawy in Cairo at teltablawy@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn</s>KHARTOUM, April 12 (Reuters) - Sudan's ruling military council on Friday promised the country would have a new civilian government, a day after the armed forces overthrew President Omar al-Bashir after 30 years in power.

The council, which is now running Sudan under Defence Minister Mohammed Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, said it expects a pre-election transition period it announced on Thursday to last two years at most or much less if chaos can be avoided.

The council also announced that it would not extradite Bashir to face allegations of genocide at the international war crimes court. Instead he would go on trial in Sudan.

Friday's announcement of a civilian government by the head of the military council's political committee, General Omar Zain al-Abideen, appeared aimed at reassuring demonstrators who took to the streets to warn against imposing army rule after Bashir's overthrow.

Abideen pledged that the military council would not interfere with the civilian government. However he said the defence and interior ministries would be under the council's control.

He said the military council had no solutions to Sudan's crisis and these would come from the protesters.

"We are the protectors of the demands of the people," he said. "We are not greedy for power."

Earlier on Friday, thousands of Sudanese demonstrators camped outside the defence ministry to push for a civilian government, defying a curfew and calling for mass prayers.

Demonstrators who have been holding almost daily anti-Bashir protests have rejected the decision to set up a transitional military council and vowed to continue protests until a civilian government is established.

Activists called for mass Friday prayers outside the defence ministry compound, a focal point for protests.

At the compound, large tents were put up and people brought in food and handed out water as the crowd swelled, a Reuters witness said. Ahmed al-Sadek, a 39-year-old trader, said he had not slept at his home since the sit-in began on Saturday.

Activists wearing yellow vests controlled traffic around the compound on Friday morning and managed foot traffic to and from the sit-in, a Reuters witness said. They also blocked a major bridge in central Khartoum.

Bashir, 75, had faced 16 weeks of demonstrations against him.

World powers, including the United States and Britain, said they supported a peaceful and democratic transition sooner than two years.

Ibn Auf is included on Washington´s list of Specially Designated Nationals for his role during the Darfur conflict, meaning all his assets in the U.S. were frozen and Americans were banned from doing business with him, the U.S. embassy said.

Ibn Auf said on Thursday that Bashir was being detained in a "safe place" and a military council - which it was later announced he is heading - would now run the country. Sudanese sources told Reuters that Bashir was at the presidential residence under "heavy guard".

The political committee will meet political parties and foreign diplomats during the course of Friday, state media reported.

Ibn Auf also announced a state of emergency, a nationwide ceasefire and the suspension of the constitution. He also said there would be a curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The main organiser of protests against Bashir, the Sudanese Professionals Association, rejected Ibn Auf's plans. It called on protesters to maintain their sit-in outside the defence ministry.

In a challenge to the military council, several thousand protesters remained in front of the defence ministry compound, and in other parts of the capital, as the curfew went into effect.

They chanted "They removed a thief and brought a thief!" and "Revolution! Revolution!"

Some shops in Omdurman, across the River Nile from central Khartoum, remained open past 10 p.m., a Reuters witness said.

Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague and is facing an arrest warrant over allegations of genocide in Sudan's Darfur region during an insurgency that began in 2003 and led to the death of an estimated 300,000 people. He denies the allegations.

Bashir's downfall was the second time this month that a leader in the region has been forced out after mass demonstrations. Algeria's Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in power since 1999, stepped down on April 2 after six weeks of protests.</s>Sudan's Defense Minister Awad ibn Auf was sworn in Thursday as chairman of the new Military Transitional Council following the overthrow of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

Ibn Auf took the constitutional oath in the capital Khartoum in a ceremony presided over by Chief Justice Abdul Majid Idris which was broadcast live on state television. Kamal Abdul-Marouf Al-Mahi, chairman of the Joint Staff Command, was sworn in as deputy chairman of the council.

The Sudanese military earlier Thursday announced the removal of al-Bashir, who had ruled Sudan since 1989, and the imposition of a two-year "transitional phase" following mass demonstrations calling for the president to step down.

Ibn Auf also announced in a televised statement the imposition of a one-month curfew to take effect Thursday evening along with a three-month nationwide state of emergency. He further announced the suspension of Sudan’s 2005 Constitution and the dissolution of the Sudanese presidency, parliament and council of ministers. He said a military council would be drawn up to run the country’s affairs during the post-Bashir interim phase.

Sudanese opposition parties and professional associations voiced “total rejection” of what they described as a "military coup". Al-Bashir came to power on the back of a 1989 military coup against the democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.</s>George Clooney and his The Sentry co-founder John Prendergast are celebrating after learning Sudanese leader President Omar al-Bashir has been overthrown and is now facing justice for war crimes against his people.

His successor, General Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, broke the news on Thursday (11Apr19), revealing the 75 year old's three-decade rule had ended with his arrest following months protest.

In a TV address Ibn Auf, who is also Sudan's defence minister, announced a military council would run the country for two years.

The power switch wasn't exactly what activists wanted, and they have vowed to continue protesting, but Clooney, who has been monitoring al-Bashir's actions for over a decade, insists it's a step in the right direction, and he welcomes a war crimes trial.

"The people of Sudan have been waiting for this day for a long time, but it is only a tentative first step towards real change," a joint statement from Clooney and Prendergast reads. "The general who has taken over in this palace coup, Awad Ibn Ouf, has been sanctioned by the United States for orchestrating war crimes in Darfur, just as the just-deposed Omar al-Bashir has been.

"Bashir is also wanted for genocide and war crimes perpetrated in Darfur, and should be extradited and tried in The Hague for those crimes. However, removing the leader of a violent, corrupt system without dismantling that system is inadequate. The next steps are crucial. The international community must provide all possible support to ensure that the transition is a negotiated and inclusive one, and that the next president of Sudan reflects the will of its people."

Clooney and Prendergast's The Sentry initiative was launched as an investigative team building cases against the war criminals "responsible for Africa’s deadliest conflicts" and "the corrupt transnational networks that profit from them".

Under President Omar al-Bashir's regime, a civil war in the Sudan claimed more than 300,000 lives, according to the United Nations.

In 2009, he was indicted for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, while Ibn Auf himself was sanctioned by the United States for supporting and managing militias accused of carrying out genocide in the conflict.</s>CAIRO, April 11 (Reuters) - Sudanese Defence Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf will head the new Military Transitional Council after the overthrow of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, and the military’s chief of staff, Lieutenant General Kamal Abdul Murof Al-mahi, will be his deputy, Sudanese state television said on Thursday.

The channel showed footage of the men being sworn in. (Reporting by Omar Fahmy; writing by Hesham Hajali; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
The army forms an interim council, with First Vice President Lt. General Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf as the leader. President al-Bashir is reported to have stepped down.