Sudan: four months of protests topple two leaders

Apr 13, 2019

The new military leaders pledge talks with "all political entities" on forming a civilian government.

Four months of protests in Sudan have helped end Omar al-Bashir's three-decade grip on power and prompted the resignation on Thursday of Awad Ibn Ouf, the head of the transitional military council.
 
Here is a timeline of the upheaval in the country.
 
Bread protests
Hundreds take to the streets in various cities on December 19, 2018 to protest the government's tripling of bread prices, some chanting, "No to hunger". 
 
The demonstrations spread and broaden into calls for Bashir's iron-fisted regime to quit.
 
Offices of his ruling National Congress Party (NCP) are torched in several towns. 
 
The protests reach Khartoum on December 20, demonstrators chanting "freedom, peace, justice".
 
Clashes break out as police try to disperse the crowds and eight demonstrators are killed in two cities. 
 laa alah a udanese woman propelled to internet fame earlier this week after clips went viral of her leading powerful protest chants against resident mar alashir addresses protesters during a demonstration in front of the military headquarters in the capital hartoum on pril 10 2019 hoto Alaa Salah, a Sudanese woman propelled to internet fame earlier this week after clips went viral of her leading powerful protest chants against President Omar al-Bashir, addresses protesters during a demonstration in front of the military headquarters in the capital Khartoum on April 10, 2019. (Photo/ AFP)

 
Bashir resists

Bashir breaks his silence after six days of demonstrations, vowing "real reforms" on December 24.
 
On January 1 this year, 22 political groups call for a "new regime".
 
On January 9, thousands chant support for Bashir in Khartoum. But in the capital's twin city of Omdurman, there are more deaths in anti-government protests.
 
On January 13, protests spread to the war-torn western region of Darfur. 
 mar alashir gestures with his walking cane as he addresses members of the opular efence orce  a paramilitary group in the capital hartoum on ebruary 13 2019 hoto by    Omar al-Bashir gestures with his walking cane as he addresses members of the Popular Defence Force (PDF), a paramilitary group, in the capital Khartoum on February 13, 2019. (Photo by ASHRAF SHAZLY / AFP)

 

Emergency rule
On February 21, security agents arrest several opposition activists as protesters try to march on the presidential palace.
 
Bashir declares a nationwide state of emergency on February 22, also dissolving the federal and provincial governments.
 
Two days later, he swears in a new prime minister as riot police confront hundreds calling for him to resign.
 
On March 1, Bashir hands his powers as chief of the ruling NCP to his deputy.
 
Sit-in at army HQ
On April 6, thousands gather for the first time outside the military headquarters in Khartoum and chant "One Army, One People" in a call for support from the armed forces.
 
They set up camp at the complex, which also houses the president's residence, defying attempts by police to dislodge them with tear gas and gunshots into the air.
 
On April 9, police follow the military's policy of non-intervention and order their forces not to take action against demonstrators.
 
State media report that 11 people including six members of the security forces have been killed in one day, raising the official death toll in the weeks of demonstrations to 49.
 
Bashir ousted
On April 11, the sixth day of the sit-in, Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf announces on state television that Bashir has been removed from power and detained.
 
He says a transitional military council will replace Bashir for two years. 
 
The country's borders and airspace are shut and Ibn Ouf announces a night-time curfew.
 
Later that evening he is sworn in as chief of the military council now in charge.
 udanese antiregime demonstrators stand on an army armoured military vehicle on pril 11 2019 as they cheer and flash the sign of victory in the area around the army headquarters where protesters have held an unprecedented sitin now in its sixth day in udans capital hartoum to call on their president to step down hoto by   Sudanese anti-regime demonstrators stand on an army armoured military vehicle on April 11, 2019 as they cheer and flash the sign of victory in the area around the army headquarters where protesters have held an unprecedented sit-in now in its sixth day in Sudan's capital Khartoum to call on their president to step down. (Photo by - / AFP)

 

Regime coup
A furious opposition accuses the regime of keeping in place "the same old faces" and demand civilian rule, a call backed by the United Nations, African Union and Western nations. 
 
Thousands defy the curfew overnight into Friday, remaining camped outside the army headquarters, some chanting "peace! justice! freedom!"
 
Addressing the media on Friday, the new military leaders pledge talks with "all political entities" on forming a civilian government.
 
They also warn they would "not allow any breach of security anywhere" and rule out Bashir's extradition on an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court to face genocide and war crimes charges.
 
In the evening Ibn Ouf announces on state television he is stepping down and names General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Abdulrahman to succeed him.
 
Crowds of Sudanese celebrate in the capital. 
  

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