Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has stepped down and consultations are underway to set up a transitional council to run the country, government sources and a provincial minister said on Thursday.
The minister of production and economic resources in North Darfur Adel Mahjoub Hussein told the Dubai-based al-Hadath TV that “there are consultations to form a military council to take over power after President Bashir stepped down”.
Sudan’s armed forces will make an important announcement soon, state television said on Thursday as troops were deployed in Khartoum and sources reported a coup attempt against President Omar al-Bashir after months of protests.
“The armed forces will present an important statement shortly. Be ready for it,” the announcement on state television read, without giving further details.
Sudanese sources said the army will likely announce a transition of power from Bashir to a council headed by military figures to end Bashir’s 30 years in power.
A Sudanese source told Reuters Bashir was under house arrest with a number of aides at the presidential palace.
The army and security services deployed troops around the defence ministry and on major roads and bridges in Khartoum as thousands of people flocked to an anti-government protest outside the ministry, a Reuters witness said.
Tens of thousands of Sudanese marched through the centre of the capital Khartoum in jubilation, dancing and chanting anti-Bashir slogans. .
Protesters outside the defence ministry chanted: “It has fallen, we won.”
Al Arabiya TV reported that Bashir had resigned, but this was not confirmed.
State television and radio played patriotic music, reminding older Sudanese of how military takeovers unfolded during previous episodes of civil unrest.