Sudan’s Defense Minister Awad Ibn Auf said on Friday that he is stepping down as head of the Country’s transitional military council, a day after former president Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a coup.

Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan will be the new head of the transitional military council, Ibn Auf said in a speech broadcast on state television on Friday.

Ibn Ouf said: “"I, the head of the military council, announce I am giving up the post,” he said, adding he took the decision to preserve unity of the armed forces.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese protesters have been rallying in front of the military headquarters in Khartoum, against the military takeover of power after ousting longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir on Thursday.

Ibn Ouf was sworn in as de facto ruler late Thursday after leading the ouster of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir following months of protests.

Ibn Auf had been defence minister since 2015, before Bashir promoted him to first vice president in February as protests against him intensified. </s> Sudan's Defense Minister Awad ibn Auf was sworn in Thursday as chairman of the new Military Transitional Council following the overthrow of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

Ibn Auf took the constitutional oath in the capital Khartoum in a ceremony presided over by Chief Justice Abdul Majid Idris which was broadcast live on state television. Kamal Abdul-Marouf Al-Mahi, chairman of the Joint Staff Command, was sworn in as deputy chairman of the council.

The Sudanese military earlier Thursday announced the removal of al-Bashir, who had ruled Sudan since 1989, and the imposition of a two-year "transitional phase" following mass demonstrations calling for the president to step down.

Ibn Auf also announced in a televised statement the imposition of a one-month curfew to take effect Thursday evening along with a three-month nationwide state of emergency. He further announced the suspension of Sudan’s 2005 Constitution and the dissolution of the Sudanese presidency, parliament and council of ministers. He said a military council would be drawn up to run the country’s affairs during the post-Bashir interim phase.

Sudanese opposition parties and professional associations voiced “total rejection” of what they described as a "military coup". Al-Bashir came to power on the back of a 1989 military coup against the democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi. </s> KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan’s Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf said on Friday that he is stepping down as head of the country’s transitional military council, a day after former president Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a coup.

Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan will be the new head of the transitional military council, Ibn Auf said in a speech broadcast on state television on Friday. </s> CAIRO, April 11 (Reuters) - Sudanese Defence 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. (Reporting by Omar Fahmy; writing by Hesham Hajali; Editing by Kevin Liffey) </s> Sudan’s Defense Minister Awad Ibn Auf said on Friday that he is stepping down as head of the Country’s transitional military council, a day after former president Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a coup.

Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan will be the new head of the transitional military council, Ibn Auf said in a speech broadcast on state television on Friday.

Ibn Auf said: “I, the head of the military council, announce I am giving up the post,” he said, adding he took the decision to preserve the unity of the armed forces.

He also said Chief of Staff Kamal Abdelmarouf al-Mahi was relieved of his position as deputy head of the transitional military council.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese protesters have been rallying in front of the military headquarters in Khartoum, against the military takeover of power after ousting longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir on Thursday.

The Sudanese group spearheading a nationwide protest movement described a decision by the head of a newly formed military council to step down on Friday as a “victory” for the people.

“The stepping down of General Awad Ibn Ouf is a victory of the people’s will,” the Sudanese Professionals Association said.

Jubilation erupted across the capital in response to the resignation.

Ibn Auf was sworn in as de facto ruler late Thursday after leading the ouster of al-Bashir following months of protests.

Ibn Auf had been defense minister since 2015 before al-Bashir promoted him to first vice president in February as protests against him intensified.

16 dead in Khartoum from 'live fire' in 2 days: Sudan police



 Sixteen people have been killed by “live ammunition” in Khartoum during ongoing protests over the past two days, Sudan's police said on Friday.

“Sixteen people died and 20 were wounded by live ammunition” as the capital saw massive gatherings during the past two days, police spokesman General Hashim Abdelrahim told AFP in a text message.

Meanwhile, Sudan’s military council appealed on Friday for financial aid from regional peers to tackle a worsening economic crisis, a day after the ouster of president al-Bashir.

“We want your donations as we have some economic issues,” the head of the military council’s political committee, Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Abdin, told Arab and African diplomats in a televised meeting, citing “a shortage of essential items like flour and fuel.” </s> The head of Sudan's military council has stepped down a day after long-time leader Omar al-Bashir was toppled in a coup.

Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf announced his decision in a broadcast on state TV on Friday.

He named as his successor Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan.

It comes after protesters refused to leave the streets, saying the coup leaders were too close to Mr Bashir.

The army has insisted that it is not seeking power and Sudan's future would be decided by the protesters.

Mr Ibn Auf was head of military intelligence during the Darfur conflict. Mr Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over that conflict.

Mr Bashir's downfall followed months of unrest that began in December over rising prices. At least 38 people have died in the protests. </s> Sudanese Defense Minister Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf stepped down as the transitional military council late Friday, a day after he announced the removal of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir.

Ibn Auf, who is under US sanctions for supporting genocidal militias in the Darfur region, had been under international pressure to establish a civilian transitional government. He said General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Abdulrahman would succeed him as the council's leader.

Read more: 'The media is under siege in Sudan'
• "I, the head of the military council, announce I am giving up the post."
• "This is for the benefit of our nation."
• "This country has great people and a great army."

Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Adbin, the military council's political committee chief, said: "The role of the military council is to protect the security and stability of the country. This is not a military coup but taking the side of the people."

But Khalid Omer, who leads the opposition Sudanese Congress Party, told DW: "They (military council) are trying to steal the revolution. If you want to engage in genuine dialogue you wouldn't suspend the constitution."

On the back of popular protests, the Sudanese military on Thursday removed longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir from power in a move widely seen as a coup.

What first began as protests against rising food prices quickly morphed into a sustained challenge against al-Bashir's 30-year rule. The protests gained a boost last week when Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stepped down after protests against his two decades in power.

Al-Bashir's removal resembled similar military interventions against longtime rulers in other countries in the region during the so-called Arab Spring of 2011.

Despite the immediate jubilation surrounding al-Bashir's downfall, the military intervention risks replacing one dictatorship with another, dashing protesters' hopes for a civilian government and opening the way for further instability.

Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> Sudan's Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf said on Friday that he is stepping down as head of the country's transitional military council, a day after former president Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a coup.

Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan will be the new head of the transitional military council, Ibn Auf said in a speech broadcast on state television on Friday.

It came after the military council said Sudan's overthrown president Omar al-Bashir would not be extradited but could instead be tried in his own country.

The leader was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) after allegations of genocide in Sudan's Darfur region surfaced.

"We, as a military council in our term, will not hand the president over abroad. We may try him, but we will not hand him over," said Omar Zeinalabdin, the political committee's head.

Bashir, who ruled Sudan for three decades, was ousted on Thursday.

Sudan's ruling military council announced earlier on Friday that it would run the country during a pre-election transition period of up to two years.

Ibn Auf is himself the target of sanctions from the US due to his alleged role as a liaison officer between the Sudanese government and militias accused of carrying out the genocide in Darfur.

He was also indicted by the ICC on charges of genocide.

Bashir's fall came after months of unrest in Sudan that was sparked in December over rising prices. As many as 38 people have died in the protests. </s> (Bloomberg) -- Sudan’s army overthrew President Omar al-Bashir and announced it would rule the oil-producing North African nation through a military council for the next two years.

First Vice President and Defense Minister Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, speaking Thursday in a nationwide broadcast, announced a three-month state of emergency, a suspension of the constitution and the release of political prisoners. Al-Bashir, who took power in a 1989 coup, is being held under house arrest, he said.

The army’s ouster of al-Bashir came after four months of protests and ends the rule of one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
• Army disbanded the National Assembly and the state governments
• A supreme security council, made up of the intelligence, military, police and other branches has been monitoring for some time what has been happening
• Security committee warned the presidency, but the regime “kept repeating slogans and fake promises”

To contact the reporters on this story: Mohammed Alamin in Khartoum at malamin1@bloomberg.net;Tarek El-Tablawy in Cairo at teltablawy@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn </s> KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan’s defense minister stepped down abruptly on Friday as head of the country’s transitional ruling military council after only a day in the post, as protesters demanded quicker political change following President Omar al-Bashir’s ouster by the armed forces.

Hours after the military council sought to calm public anger by promising a new civilian government, Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf said in a televised speech he was quitting as head of the council.

Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman will be the new head of the council, Ibn Auf said. He also said Chief of Staff Kamal Abdelmarouf al-Mahi was relieved of his position as deputy head of the transitional military council.

“In order to ensure the cohesion of the security system, and the armed forces in particular, from cracks and strife, and relying on God, let us begin this path of change,” Ibn Auf said.

Rashid Saeed, a spokesman for the main protest group, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), welcomed the move.

“What happened is a step in the right direction and is a bow to the will of the masses, and we have become closer to victory,” he told Reuters.

“We are committed to our demands that we submitted to the army. We call on the masses to stay on the streets until all the demands are met.”

The military council said earlier that it expected a pre-election transition to last two years at most or much less if chaos can be avoided. The head of the military council’s political committee, Omar Zain al-Abideen, also said the council would hold a dialogue with political entities.

The announcement of a future civilian government appeared aimed at reassuring demonstrators who had pressed for months for Bashir’s departure and who quickly resumed protests against army rule after his ouster on Thursday, calling for quicker and more substantial change.

But the SPA dismissed that, saying the military council was “not capable of creating change”. In a statement, the group restated its demand for power to be handed immediately to “a transitional civilian government”.

Bashir, 75, himself seized power in a 1989 military coup. He had faced 16 weeks of demonstrations sparked by rising food costs, high unemployment and increasing repression during his three decades of autocratic rule.

Worshippers packed the streets around the Defence Ministry for Friday prayers, heeding a call by the SPA to challenge the military council. The numbers swelled in the afternoon and a Reuters witness estimated hundreds of thousands of protesters thronged areas around the ministry, which was guarded by soldiers.

“We do not reject a military council in principle, but we reject these people because they are from Bashir’s regime,” said Abdelhamid Ahmed, a 24-year-old doctor.

Ibn Auf was Bashir’s vice president and defense minister and is among a handful of Sudanese commanders who Washington imposed sanctions on over their alleged role during atrocities committed in the Darfur conflict that began in 2003.

Announcing Bashir’s ouster on Thursday and the creation of the military council, Ibn Auf also announced a state of emergency, a nationwide ceasefire and the suspension of the constitution, as well as a nighttime curfew. Those steps were criticized as heavy-handed by rights groups.

Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman was the third most senior general in the Sudanese armed forces and is not known in public life. He was the head of Sudan’s ground forces, a role in which he oversaw Sudanese troops that fought in the Saudi-led Yemen war.

Sudan’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Yasir Abdalla Abdelsalam Ahmed told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that any democratic process in the country required time, and he urged the international community to support a peaceful transition.

“No party will be excluded from the political process, including armed groups,” he told the council during a meeting on Abyei, a contested border region claimed by Sudan and South Sudan. The 15-member council convened later on Friday behind closed doors to be briefed on the latest developments in Sudan.

“Moreover, the suspension of the constitution could be lifted at any point and the transitional period could be shortened depending on developments on the ground and agreements reached between stakeholders,” the Sudanese envoy said.

World powers, including the United States and Britain, said they supported a peaceful and democratic transition sooner than two years. China said it would continue to seek cooperation with Sudan regardless of the political situation.

Zain al-Abideen said the military council would not interfere with a civilian government. However he said the defense and interior ministries would be under its control.

Zain al-Abideen said the military council itself had no solutions to Sudan’s crisis and these would come from the protesters.

“We are not greedy for power,” he said. “We will not dictate anything to the people. We want to create an atmosphere to manage a peaceful dialogue”.

He said the council would meet on Friday with political entities to prepare a “climate for dialogue.” But this was later postponed.

The council said it did not invite Bashir’s National Congress Party to join the dialogue because “it is responsible for what happened”.

It warned protesters that the army would not tolerate unrest.

Ibn Auf said on Thursday that Bashir was being detained in a “safe place”. Sudanese sources told Reuters he was at the presidential residence under heavy guard.

The council said on Friday it would not extradite Bashir, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Bashir is facing an arrest warrant over accusations of genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region during an insurgency that began in 2003 and led to the death of an estimated 300,000 people. He denies the allegations.
The army forms an interim council, with First Vice President Lt. General Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf as the leader. President al-Bashir is reported to have stepped down.