Protesters Reject Sudanese Coup Leader, Detained Al-Bashir’s Whereabouts Unknown

Protesters against the iron-fisted rule of ousted President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir have swiftly rejected the Military ‘coup’ and vowed to keep up their demonstrations until the country is totally liberated from its over three decades of bondage and dictatorship.

Reacting to a sombre televised address by the Sudanese Minister of Defence, General Awad Mohamed Ahmed Bin Aouf, who announced “the toppling of the regime”, organisers of the protests, which first broke out in December 2018, rejected the army’s moves, vowing to keep up their struggle until the whole regime was swept aside.

General Bin Aouf, who said the former leader, Bashir is being detained in ‘a secure place’, bringing an end to his 30-year-old rule, however warned protestors against disrupting public peace across the country.

He also imposed a nation-wide night-time curfew from 10:00pm (2000 GMT) to 4:00 am (0200 GMT) as well as an emergency rule for the next three months across the North African country.

General Bin Aouf further announced that a transitional military council that has already replaced the sacked president will be at the helms of affairs for two years, even as the Military has shut the country’s borders and airspace until further notice.

The disgraced al-Bashir swept to power in a 1989 coup and was one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents. He is currently wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of genocide and war crimes.

But organisers of the protests are not backing down as they rejected the army’s plans, insisting that; “The people do not want a transitional military council.”

Alaa Salah, who became an icon of the protest movement after a video of her leading demonstrators’ chants outside the Army Headquarters went viral, tweeted; “Change will not happen with Bashir’s entire regime hoodwinking Sudanese civilians through a military coup.”

According to her, “We want a civilian council to head the transition.”

The protesters’ 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”, the crowd 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 protesters 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 (SCP) 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.

Adel, a protester outside army headquarters, said Thursday’s announcement meant “we have not achieved anything.”

“We will not stop our revolution. We are calling for the regime to step down, not only Bashir,” he said.

Army vehicles carrying troops were seen deploying across the centre of Khartoum from early Thursday.

Troops raided the offices of the Islamic Movement (ISM), the ideological wing of Bashir’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP), witnesses told AFP.

Martial music was played on state television as soldiers ordered the TV to halt its normal programming ahead of Ibnouf’s announcement.

Outside army headquarters, dozens of joyful protesters early Thursday climbed on top of land cruisers and armoured vehicles that had been posted to protect them from intervention by other branches of the security forces.

Braving the searing 42 degree Celsius (108 degree Fahrenheit) heat, they hugged and kissed soldiers in the crowd.

The military council said it was declaring a ceasefire across the country, including in war-torn Darfur.

Meanwhile, Sudan’s feared intelligence service said it was freeing all the country’s political prisoners, state media reported. – Agency reports