A day after the military ousted long-term leader Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s ruling military council has vowed to install a civilian government.
The council said on April 12 that it expects the preelection transition period to last two years at most.
It also announced that Bashir will not be extradited to face allegations of genocide at the international war crimes court. Instead, he will go on trial in Sudan.
The announcement comes as protesters remained out on the streets of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, demanding a democratic government.
And the main protest group immediately rejected the proposal, saying the military council was "not capable of creating change."
In a statement, the Sudanese Professionals Association restated its demand for power to be handed immediately to "a transitional civilian government."
Bashir, 75, had faced 16 weeks of demonstrations against his nearly thirty years of authoritarian rule.
Announcing the ouster on April 11, Defense Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf said Sudan would enter a two-year period of military rule to be followed by presidential elections.
Speaking on state television, he said Bashir was being detained in a "safe place" and a military council would now run the country.
Seated on a gold-upholstered armchair, Ibn Auf announced a state of emergency, a nationwide cease-fire, and the suspension of the constitution.
Sudan's Military Council Promises Civilian Rule After Bashir Ouster
Thousands have kept up their sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum.