Sudan: EU urges quick move to civilian transition govt

<p>By Serife Cetin </p> <p>BRUSSELS (AA) – The EU on Thursday called for Sudan to have a “swift handover” to a civilian transitional government following the removal from the presidency of Omar al-Bashir.</p> <p>&quot;Only a credible and inclusive political process can meet the aspirations of the Sudanese people and lead to the political and economic reforms the country needs,&quot; said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in a written statement.</p> <p>&quot;That can only be achieved through a swift handover to a civilian transitional government. In that process, all must exercise calm and utmost restraint,&quot; she said.</p> <p>Mogherini said that for months the Sudanese people have peacefully called for a change.</p> <p>&quot;As underlined by the Chairperson of African Union Commission in his statement today, a military council does not provide the answers and breaches the principles of the African Union Charter,&quot; she added.</p> <p>The Sudanese military earlier Thursday announced the removal of al-Bashir, who had ruled Sudan since 1989, and the imposition of a two-year &quot;transitional phase&quot; following mass demonstrations calling for the president to step down.</p> <p>Defense Minister Awad ibn Auf further announced a one-month curfew along with a three-month nationwide state of emergency.</p> <p>He also announced the suspension of Sudan’s 2005 Constitution and the dissolution of the Sudanese presidency, parliament, and council of ministers.</p> <p>A military council, he said, would be drawn up to run the country’s affairs during the post-Bashir interim phase.</p> <p>Sudanese opposition parties and professional associations voiced &quot;total rejection&quot; of what they described as a &quot;military coup&quot;.</p> <p>Al-Bashir came to power on the back of a 1989 military coup against the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.</p>