Sudan crisis: Military council arrests former government members
Sudan’s transitional military council has arrested members of the former government and promised not to disperse protesters.
A spokesman also urged the opposition to pick the next prime minister and vowed to implement their choice.
Months of protests in Sudan led to the ouster and arrest of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir on Thursday.
Demonstrators have vowed to stay on the streets until there is an immediate move to civilian rule.
A sit-in is continuing outside the defence ministry in the capital Khartoum.
What did the military council say?
In
a press conference on Sunday, spokesman Maj Gen Shams Ad-din Shanto
said the military council was “ready to implement” whatever civilian
government the opposition parties agreed.
“We won’t appoint a PM. They’ll choose one,” he said, referring to opposition and protest groups.
What’s been happening in Sudan?
Protests
against a rise in the cost of living began in December but soon
developed into a wider call for the removal of Mr Bashir and his
government.
The coup leader, Defence Minister Awad Ibn Auf, announced the military would oversee a two-year transitional period followed by elections and imposed a three-month state of emergency.
But demonstrators vowed to stay in the streets regardless, demanding an immediate switch to civilian government.
Mr Ibn Auf himself stood down the next day, as did the feared security chief Gen Salah Gosh.
Lt Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan was then named as head of the transitional military council, to become Sudan’s third leader in as many days.
In a televised address on Saturday, Gen Burhan vowed to “uproot the
regime”, pledging to respect human rights, end a night curfew, release
political prisoners immediately, dissolve all provincial governments,
try those who had killed demonstrators and tackle corruption.
But
the Sudan Professionals Association (SPA), which has been spearheading
the demonstrations, said the council’s response “did not achieve any of
the demands of the people” and urged protests to continue.
Among
its demands are the restructuring of state security, the arrest of
“corrupt leaders” and the dissolution of militias that operated under
former President Bashir.
The whereabouts of Sudan’s former leader is currently unknown, but the coup leaders said he was in a secure place.
Mr Bashir has been indicted on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur by the International Criminal Court.
But the military council has said it will not extradite him, although he could well be put on trial in Sudan.
Mr
Bashir’s National Congress Party on Saturday called his overthrow
unconstitutional, and demanded that the military council release the
party’s imprisoned members.
Maj-Gen Shanto said that the former
ruling party would have no part in the civilian transitional government
but could field candidates in the next elections.
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