Sudan’s military council announced Friday that it will seek the formation of a new civilian government after the military overthrew President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday, ending his three decades in power.
The council, formed Thursday and which is now running Sudan under Defense 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.
But the main protest group rejected the proposal, saying the military council was "not capable of creating change".
In a statement, the Sudanese Professionals Association restated its demand for power to be handed immediately to "a transitional civilian government".
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.
Thousands kept up their sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum overnight and into Friday morning.
Organizers of the demonstration said they'll keep up the campaign.
The mood in the crowd appeared festive, with protesters playing music and chanting, "Down again" — a reference to Ibn Auf.
Bashir, 75, had faced 16 weeks of demonstrations against him. Announcing the president's overthrow, Ibn Auf said elections would be held at the end of the two-year interim period.
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.
Speaking on state television on Thursday, Ibn Auf said Bashir was being detained in a "safe place".
Sudanese sources told Reuters that Bashir was at the presidential residence under "heavy guard".
Ibn Auf also announced a state of emergency, a nationwide ceasefire and the suspension of the constitution.
State television said there would be a curfew from 10 pm to 4 am.
