Sudan’s Bashir steps down, Gov’t sources say

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has stepped down and consultations are under way 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”.

Sudanese sources confirmed the report and told Reuters Bashir was at the presidential residence under “heavy guard”.


Sudan’s army deployed troops around the defense ministry, while soldiers and security agency personnel were deployed on key roads and bridges in Khartoum early on Thursday.

More people joined the sit-in outside the ministry in central Khartoum, where protesters chanted: “It has fallen, we won.”


The army and security services deployed troops around the defense ministry and on major roads and bridges in the capital as thousands of people flocked to an anti-government protest outside the ministry, a Reuters witness said.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese took to the streets in the center of Khartoum in jubilation, dancing and chanting anti-Bashir slogans.

Protesters outside the defense ministry chanted: “It has fallen, we won.”. State television and radio played patriotic music, reminding older Sudanese of how military takeovers unfolded during previous episodes of civil unrest.