Sudan’s armed forces were to deliver an “important statement” and asked the nation to “wait for it” on Thursday, state TV reported, as two senior officials said the military had forced longtime President Omar al-Bashir to step down.
The circumstances of al-Bashir’s apparent ouster and his current whereabouts remained unclear, however.
State TV said an army statement was imminent amid swirling reports of a coup to replace the president of 30 years following mass street protests against his rule. The announcement raised expectations it was a sign al-Bashir was relinquishing power or was being removed by the military.
The two officials, who hold high positions in the government and the military, said the army was now in talks about forming a transitional government. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authoriSed to talk to the media.
Pan-Arab TV networks also carried unconfirmed reports that al-Bashir had stepped down and that top ruling party officials were being arrested. They aired footage of masses heading toward the presidential palace in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, waving the national flag, chanting, and clapping.
