Protests continue in Sudan demanding civilian rule

Huge crowds of protesters massed again outside Sudan's army headquarters one week after the military ousted veteran leader Omar al Bashir.

Protesters wave Sudanese flags, hold banners and chant slogans during a demonstration in front of the defence ministry in Khartoum, Sudan. April 18, 2019.
Reuters

Protesters wave Sudanese flags, hold banners and chant slogans during a demonstration in front of the defence ministry in Khartoum, Sudan. April 18, 2019.

Tens of thousands of people headed to a sit-in outside Sudan's Defence Ministry on Thursday to demand that a transitional military council hand power to civilians.

Protesters chanted "Freedom and revolution are the choice of the people" and "Civilian rule, the civilian rule." 

Witnesses said that every road leading to the protest site was full of people as crowds of demonstrators converged outside the complex in central Khartoum.

Demonstrations took place as the new rulers announced the arrests of former president Omar al Bashir's two brothers on corruption charges.

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Bashir's brothers under arrest

Military council spokesman Gen. Shams Eddin Kabashi was quoted by the official SUNA news agency as saying that Abdullah and Abbas al Bashir were taken into custody, without providing additional details or saying when it happened.

The arrests were part of a broad sweep against officials and supporters of the former government.

The Sudanese military ousted Omar al Bashir last week, after four months of street protests against his 30-year rule marred by conflict, civil war, and corruption. Bashir is also wanted for genocide and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court in the western region of Darfur.

"The arrests are ongoing of the ousted regime's figures in addition to those who are suspected of corruption," Kabashi said, adding that authorities are looking for a number of wanted fugitives. He said the detainees will be held in prisons in Khartoum and other cities.

The English-language Sudan Tribune said the brothers and Bashir's wife are suspected of having accumulated illegal wealth through the years of Bashir's rule.

The brothers' detention was likely another concession by the military to the protesters, who have demanded that all key figures and ranking officials from the former president's circle be arrested. A number of Bashir's close associates and former government officials have already been taken into custody since the military overthrew Bashir last Thursday. A number of them are also wanted by the International Criminal Court.

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