Crisis in Sudan: military council arresting former members of government

The Sudanese Transitional Military Council arrested members of the former government and promised not to disperse the protesters.

A spokesman also urged the opposition to choose the next prime minister and pledged to implement his choice.

Months of protests in Sudan have resulted in the ouster and arrest of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir on Thursday.

Protesters promised to stay on the street until the civilian regime was immediately adopted.

A sit-in continues in front of the Ministry of Defense in the capital, Khartoum.

What did the military council say?

At a press conference Sunday, the spokesman, General Shams Ad-din Shanto, said the military council was "ready to implement" the civilian government agreed by the parties of the day. opposition.

"We will not name PM, they will choose one," he said, referring to opposition and protest groups.

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He also said that the army would not remove the protesters from their sit-in by force, but called on protesters to "let normal life resume" and put an end to unauthorized roadblocks.

"Taking up arms will not be tolerated," he added.

The military council also announced a series of decisions, including:

• New Chiefs of the Army and Police
• A new leader of the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS)
• Committees to fight corruption and investigate the former ruling party
• The lifting of all media restrictions and censorship
• Release of police and security personnel arrested for supporting protesters
• Review of Diplomatic Missions and Referral of Sudanese Ambbadadors to the United States and the UN in Geneva

What happened in Sudan?

Demonstrations against the rising cost of living began in December but quickly turned into a broader call for the removal of Bashir and his government.

On Thursday, the army removed from office and detained the chief of veterans after nearly 30 years in power.

The coup leader, Defense Minister Awad Ibn Auf, announced that the army would oversee a two-year transition period followed by elections and impose a state of emergency of three months.

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But the protesters vowed to stay on the street despite everything, demanding an immediate transfer to the civilian government.

Mr. Ibn Auf himself withdrew the following day, as did the chief feared of safety, General Salah Gosh.

General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan was then appointed head of the Transitional Military Council, becoming the third head of Sudanese diplomacy in as many days.

In a televised speech on Saturday, General Burhan promised to "uproot the regime", by pledging to respect human rights, to end the night curfew, to release the prisoners immediately. politicians, to dissolve all provincial governments, to judge those who killed protesters and to fight corruption.

But the Sudan Professionals Association (SPA), which spearheaded the protests, said the council's response "failed to address any of the demands of the population" and called for the protests to continue. .

Among his demands are the restructuring of state security, the arrest of "corrupt rulers" and the dissolution of militias operating under former President Bashir.

The whereabouts of the former Sudanese leader are unknown, but the coup leaders claimed he was in a safe place.

Mr. Bashir has been indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur by the International Criminal Court.

But the military council said he would not extradite him, although he could very well be tried in Sudan.

Bashir's National Congress party on Saturday declared its overthrow unconstitutional and demanded that the military council release the imprisoned members of the party.

Major-General Shanto said that the former ruling party would have no role in the civilian transition government, but could present candidates in the upcoming elections.