KHARTOUM (BLOOMBERG) - Sudan began its first full day in 30 years without Omar al-Bashir in charge, as protesters in the North African nation vowed to keep up the pressure on the military that deposed him to make way for a civilian government. Demonstrators maintained an overnight sit-in outside army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, in spite of a 10pm-4am curfew imposed when the military seized power. Defence Minister Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf was sworn in late on Thursday (April 11) as head of a military council, which plans to lead Africa's third-largest country for two years and has declared a three-month state of emergency. The council wants to enter into dialogue with political parties and supports "the demands of the people", it said on Friday (April 12) morning in a statement. The comments - and the lack of a crackdown on the six-day sit-in - may temporarily ease fears of a confrontation with the army, which says it needs tightened security to enact its changes.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 12, 2019 10:18 UTC