Tuesday 23 / April / 2024
Khartoum: Sudan's military authorities announced the arrests of two brothers of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir.
Lt-Gen Shamseddine Kabbashi, a spokesman for the ruling transitional military council, confirmed the arrests and stated they were part of an ongoing campaign against symbols of the former regime.
Kabbashi, however, did not give details of where Abdallah and Abbas al-Bashir were being detained.
The council’s announcement comes a day after Omar al-Bashir was reportedly transferred from the presidential palace to Kobar Maximum Security Prison in Khartoum.
Despite news of the arrests, protesters have continued to march in Khartoum demanding the immediate handover of power to civilian leadership.
Protest organisers stated that they would announce a civilian presidential council they want to take over from the military.
The Sudanese Professional Association, which has been behind the four months of protests, released a statement on Friday saying they would announce the makeup of a “civilian presidential council” at a press conference in Khartoum today (21 April).
In a statement, US Department of State spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said that the US will “calibrate our policies based on our assessment of events."
“We are encouraged by the decision to release political prisoners and cancel the curfew in Khartoum,” Ortagus stated.
She added that the US wanted the military council and other armed units to “show restraint, avoid conflict and remain committed to the protection of the Sudanese people.”
“The will of the Sudanese people is clear: it is time to move toward a transitional government that is inclusive and respectful of human rights and the rule of law,” she said.
