Sudan army takes over amid growing calls for civilian rule

Sudan's Defense Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf has been sworn in as the chief of the new military council that has replaced Omar al-Bashir, the country’s ousted president, amid growing calls for a civilian government.

Auf took the oath to become the head of the council on Thursday night hours after announcing the news of Bashir’s ouster and his detainment by the army on Thursday, state media reported.

The Sundanese army's chief of staff, Lieutenant General Kamal Abdel Marouf al-Mahi, was appointed as Auf’s deputy.

State television made the announcement while also sharing images of both officers taking the oath in the presence of the chief of the country's judiciary.

Auf declared a three-month state of emergency and imposed a one-month curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. He said the country's airspace would be also closed for 24 hours and border crossings sealed until further notice.

The military council has also declared a nationwide ceasefire, which includes the war-torn regions of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, where Bashir's government had long been battling ethnic minority rebels, Auf said.

Thousands of people, who had packed the streets of Khartoum to celebrate Bashir’s removal after months of demonstrations, returned to the streets this time to demand a civilian government.

Scores of people rallied outside army headquarters late on Thursday despite a night-time curfew imposed by the military. Protesters were chanting "Peace! Justice! Freedom!" as they thronged the sprawling Khartoum complex for the sixth night in a row.

EU, US urge power transition to civilians

Later in the day, European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini called on the army to quickly hand over power to a civilian government.

"Only a credible and inclusive political process can meet the aspirations of the Sudanese people and lead to the political and economic reforms the country needs," she said in a statement.

"That can only be achieved through a swift handover to a civilian transitional government," Mogherini added.

The US also took sides with the protesters and urged Sudan's army to bring civilians into government, saying the planned two-year transition timeline was simply too long.

Washington calls "on transitional authorities to exercise restraint and to allow space for civilian participation within the government," US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters.

"The Sudanese people should determine who leads them and their future and the Sudanese people have been clear and are demanding a civilian-led transition," he said.

"The United States position is the Sudanese people should be allowed to do so sooner than two years from now," he added.