Omar al-Bashir: Sudanese military coup overthrows ruler after protests

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After nearly 30 years of power, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been ousted and arrested, the defense minister said.

Awad Ibn Phew told state television that the army had decided to oversee a two-year transition period followed by elections.

He also said that a state of emergency of three months was being put in place.

Demonstrations against Bashir, who has been running Sudan since 1989, have been going on for several months.

However, it is not clear whether the coup will end the protests.

"I announce, as defense minister, the overthrow of the regime and the detention of its leader in a safe place," said Ibn Puf in a statement.

We do not know where Mr. Bashir is.

Ibn Ouf said the country was suffering from "mismanagement, corruption and lack of justice".

He added that Sudan's constitution was suspended, borders crossed and closed until further notice and that the airspace was closed for 24 hours.

At the news announcement, crowds of protesters gathered in front of the army headquarters in Khartoum, the capital, kissing soldiers and climbing over armored vehicles.

Sudanese intelligence services announced the release of all political prisoners, the Suna news agency reported.

Mr. Bashir is the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which accuses him of having organized war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

However, we do not know what will happen to him after his arrest.

How did the events unfold?

On Thursday, at dawn, military vehicles were seen entering the vast Khartoum complex housing the Ministry of Defense, the army headquarters and the home of Mr. Bashir, reported the AFP press agency.

The state television and radio subsequently interrupted their programs by announcing that the military would make a statement.

At the same time, tens of thousands of protesters marched through central Khartoum, some chanting "He fell, we won," Reuters reported.

Will this end the protests?

According to unconfirmed information, the main organization behind the protests, the Sudanese Professionals Association (ASP), had rejected the statement of the army.

According to a Reuters source, the group is calling on protesters to maintain their sit-in in front of the Ministry of Defense.

The SPA has previously stated that any transitional administration should not include anyone from what it calls the "tyrannical regime".

The demonstrations were triggered originally by an increase in the cost of living, but the protesters then began to demand the resignation of the president and the resignation of his government.

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Omar el-Digeir, senior official of the demonstration, told the AFP news agency that the group was looking for a way "that represents the wish of the revolution".

Police had ordered the police not to intervene against the demonstrations, but human rights groups have criticized the government for reacting brutally to the unrest.

Government officials said 38 people have died since the unrest began in December, but the Human Rights Watch advocacy group said the number was higher.

In February, it seemed that the president could step down, but Mr Bashir had declared the state of national emergency.

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Who is Omar al-Bashir?

A former army officer, he took power during a military coup in 1989.

His reign was marked by civil war. The civil war with the south of the country ended in 2005 and South Sudan became independent in 2011.

Another civil conflict has occurred in the western region of Darfur. Mr. Bashir is accused of organizing war crimes and crimes against humanity by the ICC.

Despite an international arrest warrant issued by the ICC, he won consecutive elections in 2010 and 2015. However, his latest victory was tainted by a boycott of major opposition parties.

The arrest warrant has led to a ban on international travel. Bashir, however, made diplomatic visits to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. In June 2015, he was forced to hastily leave South Africa by a court that had asked if the arrest warrant was to be executed.