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Sudan defense minister steps down as head of transitional military council
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Sudan’s Defense Minister Awad Ibn Auf said on Friday that he is stepping down as head of the Country’s transitional military council, a day after former president Omar al-Bashir Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to ArabizeDarfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it. was tossed in a coup. Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan will be the new head of the transitional military council, Ibn Auf said in a speech broadcast on state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe? on Friday. Ibn Auf said: "I, the head of the military council, announce I am giving up the post," he said, adding he took the decision to preserve the unity of the armed forces. He also said Chief of Staff Kamal Abdelmarouf al-Mahi was relieved of his position as deputy head of the transitional military council. Tens of thousands of Sudanese protesters have been rallying in front of the military headquarters in Khartoum, against the military takeover of power after ousting longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir on Thursday. The Sudanese group spearheading a nationwide protest movement described a decision by the head of a newly formed military council to step down on Friday as a "victory" for the people. "The stepping down of General Awad Ibn Ouf is a victory of the people’s will," the Sudanese Professionals Association said. Jubilation erupted across the capital in response to the resignation. Ibn Auf was sworn in as de facto ruler late Thursday after leading the ouster of al-Bashir following months of protests. Ibn Auf had been defense minister since 2015 before al-Bashir promoted him to first vice president in February as protests against him intensified. Posted by: Fred 2019-04-13 |
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