Bashir’s brothers arrested, new calls for protests in Sudan
khartoum — Protesters in Sudan called onThursday for new street demonstrations to pressure the ruling military council to speed up the transition of power to a civilian government as the new rulers announced the arrests of former president Omar Al Bashir’s two brothers on corruption charges.
Military council spokesman Gen. Shams Eddin Kabashi was quoted by the official SUNA news agency as saying that Abdullah and Abbas Al Bashir were taken into custody, without providing additional details or saying when it happened.
The arrests were part of a broad sweep against officials and supporters of the former government.
The Sudanese military ousted Omar Al Bashir last week, after four months of street protests.
“The arrests are ongoing of the ousted regime’s figures in addition to those who are suspected of corruption,” Kabashi said, adding that authorities are looking for a number of wanted fugitives. He said the detainees will be held in prisons in Khartoum and other cities.
The English-language Sudan Tribune said the brothers and Al Bashir’s wife are suspected of having accumulated illegal wealth through the years of Al Bashir’s rule.
The brothers’ detention was likely another concession by the military to the protesters, who have demanded that all key figures and ranking officials from the former president’s circle be arrested. A number of Al Bashir’s close associates and former government officials have already been taken into custody since the military overthrew Al Bashir last Thursday. A number of them are also wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The military council that now runs the country said the former president was transferred Tuesday to Koper Prison in the capital, Khartoum, a facility notorious for holding political prisoners under Al Bashir.
Meanwhile, the Sudanese Professionals Association, which has been spearheading anti-government street protests since mid-December, released on Wednesday together with several opposition groups a proposed blueprint for the transfer of power from the military to a civilian government.
Though the street protesters were overjoyed at Al Bashir’s ouster, they were not happy with the military taking over and have demanded a swift handover of power to civilian rule. The military council has said it plans to rule for a maximum of two years as the country prepares for new elections.
The protesters fear the army, dominated by Al Bashir appointees, will cling to power or select one of its own to succeed him. They have vowed to continue to protest, focusing on a sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum, until the transfer of power is complete. —
We have to continue our sit-ins until a transitional civilian authority takes over Sudanese Professional Association, bluebrpint