Sudan: Despite curfew protests rage after Bashir ouster

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Demanding a civilian transition government following the removal of Omar al-Bashir from office, thousands of Sudanese protesters took to the streets Thursday in the capital Khartoum despite a military-imposed curfew.

Protesters gathered mainly outside the army headquarters calling for the resignation of Awad ibn Auf, defense minister and the newly-appointed head of a military transitional body tasked with running the country for two years, as well as other senior officials linked with al-Bashir's ousted government.

Sudanese opposition parties and professional associations also voiced "total rejection" of the "military coup".

Protests were expected to continue Friday.

Ibn Auf was sworn in as the chairman of the Military Transitional Council, taking oath in a ceremony presided over by Chief Justice Abdul Majid Idris which was broadcast live on state television.

Kamal Abdul-Marouf Al-Mahi, the chairman of the Joint Staff Command, was sworn in as deputy chairman of the council.

Ibn Auf announced a one-month curfew along with a three-month nationwide state of emergency as well as the suspension of Sudan’s 2005 Constitution and the dissolution of the Sudanese presidency, parliament, and council of ministers.

Al-Bashir came to power on the back of a 1989 military coup against the democratically-elected government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev