Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has stepped down under pressure from the military, which has promised an "important statement" and is meeting to form a transitional ruling council, Reuters and The Associated Press report, citing senior government officials and regional TV reports. Al-Bashir's fate and whereabouts are currently unknown, but critics who have been protesting his rule since December have gathered in the streets of Khartoum, the capital, flashing victory signs and chanting "the regime has fallen!"
State radio is playing patriotic music and military marches and state TV has ceased broadcasting. Al-Bashir, a former paratrooper and international pariah wanted by the International Criminal Court for the genocide in Darfur, seized power in a 1989 bloodless coup, toppling the civilian government elected after the military ousted the previous leader in 1985. Protests against al-Bashir's rule have been ongoing since Dec. 19, sparked by a government plan to raise bread prices.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imaginationFeature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Google: A monopoly past its prime?Feature Google’s antitrust case ends with a slap on the wrist as courts struggle to keep up with the tech industry’s rapid changes
-
Patrick Hemingway: The Hemingway son who tended to his father’s legacyFeature He was comfortable in the shadow of his famous father, Ernest Hemingway
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red SeaSpeed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
-
Houthi rebels claim Red Sea ship attacksspeed read Iran-backed Yemeni group vows to escalate aggression towards Israel-linked vessels in revenge for Gaza war
-
Israel plans next phase of Gaza war as first hostages releasedSpeed read After four-day ceasefire 'we will not stop' until destruction of Hamas, says Israel
-
Mob storms Russian airport 'looking for Jews'Speed Read Plane from Israel surrounded by rioters chanting antisemitic slogans after landing in Russia's Dagestan region
-
Tuberville's military promotions block is upending lives, combat readiness, 3 military branch chiefs saySpeed Read
-
Ukraine's counteroffensive is making incremental gains. Does it matter in the broader war?Speed Read
-
US commissions first-ever Navy ship in a foreign portSpeed Read
-
British spy chief, Wagner video suggest Prigozhin is alive and freely 'floating around'Speed Read
