On the twelfth of April, Awad Ibnouf, the Sudan Defence Minister, announced the ousting of President Omar al Bashir, the Country’s President since the last 30 years.
Placing Sudan under military rule for the next two years, Mr. Awad Ibnouf also declared a state of emergency in the Country for the next three months.
Mr. Ibnouf further said Sudanese airspace would be shut for the next 24 hours and the border crossings would be closed till further notice.
The ousting of 75 year old al Bashir comes after four months of continuous protests by the nationals against President Omar al Bashir’s rule. However, while the President may have been overthrown, the regime remains the same with the Army being a part of the ruling party.
According to reports, the new developments are likely to increase the already existing tensions in the area. While half the Sudanese are celebrating freedom from a tyrant’s reign, the other half are sceptical about the new leader.
Apart from promising growth, the new leader of Sudan announced restrictions which made the locals uneasy. From releasing activists who were arrested, to imposing curfews after 10:00 P.M., to suspending the Constitution, the new ruler has made the Sudanese question the ousting.
Even in terms of the way rulers are, al Bashir was quite unpopular for his ruling style. The only president to be wanted by the International Criminal Court for the part he played at the unrest in Darfur, al Bashir’s 30 year long reign was brought to a grinding halt with this coup.
The protests against al Bashir began in December 2018, after the government ended subsidies for its people. He is also wanted for not one, but two accounts of crime and genocide, a case which resulted in the death of thousands of people in Dafur.
The protestors were primarily pushed to make this move because of the multiple failures made by al Bashir on the home front. From doing outrageous things like hosting Osama Bin Laden and to sending members of his Army to fight for Yemen, Omar al Bashir did things which made not only his people dislike him, but also the rest of the world.
Announcing rule by the Army of Sudan, Defense Minister Awad Ibnouf said elections would be conducted to elect the new president, post the end of the emergency.
Stay tuned for more updates on Sudan!
