Sudan military ruler sacks prosecutor-general after protesters' demand

KHARTOUM,

Sudan's new military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan sacked the country's prosecutor-general on Tuesday, the military council said, after protesters demanded he be fired.

"Lieutenant-General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has issued a declaration sacking the prosecutor-general Omer Ahmed Mohamed," the council said in a statement.

General Burhan replaced Mohamed with Al-Waleed Sayyed Ahmed as the country's new acting prosecutor-general, the council said.

On Monday, the group spearheading the protest movement against the old regime demanded the military council sack the prosecutor-general.

The protest organisers have also demanded the new military council be scrapped as demonstrators keep up calls for a civilian government through a sit-in outside army headquarters.

Thousands of demonstrators have continued to rally in support of demands for civilian rule, despite an apparent attempt to disperse them following the ouster last week of veteran president Omar al-Bashir.

REACTIONS

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for "a rapid transfer of power to a civilian transitional government.

"This must be followed by a credible, inclusive political process that meets the expectations of the Sudanese people with regard to economic and political reforms," her office said in a statement.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has reiterated Egypt's support for "the brotherly Sudanese people's will" and said Cairo would "not interfere in its internal affairs", according to a presidential statement.

And the 55-member African Union threatened to suspend Sudan if the military fails to hand power over to civilians within 15 days, saying "a military-led transition would be completely contrary to the aspirations of the people of Sudan".

Their comments come a day after the Khartoum embassies of Britain, the United States and Norway issued a joint statement calling for "inclusive dialogue to effect a transition to civilian rule".

Outside army headquarters crowds remained camped outside the complex, despite the Sudanese Professionals' Association's warnings of "an attempt to disperse the sit-in".