Sudan: Defense Minister Heads Transition Council

By Staff, Agencies

Sudanese Defense 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.

Meanwhile, thousands of Sudanese protesters rallied outside army headquarters late Thursday, witnesses said, despite a night-time curfew imposed by the military after it ousted president Omar al-Bashir following months of demonstrations.

Protesters were chanting their slogan “Peace! Justice! Freedom!” as they thronged the sprawling Khartoum complex for a sixth night running, witnesses said.

Military leaders in Sudan said presidential elections would take place after a two-year period of military rule following the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir.

EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini on Thursday urged Sudan’s army to quickly hand over power to a civilian government, noting the determination of the Sudanese people for change.

“Only a credible and inclusive political process can meet the aspirations of the Sudanese people and lead to the political and economic reforms the country needs,” Mogherini said in a statement.

“That can only be achieved through a swift handover to a civilian transitional government,” she added.

Mogherini, who speaks for the EU”s 28 member states, also reiterated a plea by the African Union that “a military council does not provide the answers and breaches the principles” of the Ethiopia-based union’s charter.

For its part, the United States urged Sudan’s army to bring civilians into government after ousting veteran leader Omar al-Bashir, saying an announced two-year timeline was too long.

The United States calls “on transitional authorities to exercise restraint and to allow space for civilian participation within the government,” State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters.

“The Sudanese people should determine who leads them and their future and the Sudanese people have been clear and are demanding a civilian-led transition,” he said.