Sudan's military council appoints new intelligence chief

Sudan's military council removed defence minister Awad Ibn Auf from his role and appointed a new intelligence chief, a spokesman said. Council's spokesman Shams El Din Kabbashi Shinto said Lieutenant General Abu Bakr Mustafa will replace Salah Abdallah Mohamed Saleh, known as Salah Gosh, as chief of Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service. 

The spokesman also announced the sacking of Sudan's ambassadors to Washington and Geneva. Shinto said all army and police officers who participated in street protests which led to the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir would be released. 

Today, the organisation which spearheaded the protests against Bashir,



the Sudanese Professionals Association, called on the military council to immediately transfer power to a civilian government. Earlier the military council met with political parties and urged them to agree on an independent figure to be the country's prime minister.

In a statement, the foreign ministry urged the international community to back the country's new military rulers.  It added that General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is committed to having a complete civilian government.  Burhan took the oath as chief of the military council after his predecessor stepped down a day after ousting long-time leader  President Omar al-Bashir.