°®Âþµº

Sudan's long-ruling dictator Omar al-Bashir has stepped down after months of protests triggered by a hike on bread prices, according to Sudanese government sources quoted by Reuters agency, but no official confirmation has yet come from Khartoum.

Consultations are under way to set up a transitional council to run the country, the government sources said on Thursday.

Speaking to Dubai-based al-Hadath TV, the Sudanese minister of production and economic resources in North Darfur Adel Mahjoub Hussein said "there are consultations to form a military council to take over power after President al-Bashir stepped down."

Anticipations regarding Bashir's departure began early on Thursday after the Sudanese armed forces said they were to deliver an "important statement" and were asking the nation to "wait for it," state TV reported, after nearly four months of anti-government protests demanding the ouster of longtime President Omar al-Bashir.

The TV announcement raised expectations the statement could be a sign that al-Bashir is relinquishing power or is being removed by the military after 30 years of rule.

Pan-Arab TV networks carried unconfirmed reports that al-Bashir had stepped down and that top ruling party officials were being arrested.

The whereabouts of the autocratic leader, who is a pariah in many countries and is also wanted by the international war crimes tribunal for atrocities in Darfur, were not immediately known.

Eyewitnesses in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, said the military had deployed at key sites in the city to secure several installations since the morning hours

Military coup?

Eyewitnesses in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, said the military had deployed at key sites in the city to secure several installations since the morning hours. Armoured vehicles and tanks are parked in the streets and near bridges over the Nile River, they said, as well as in the vicinity of the military headquarters, where thousands were anxiously awaiting the army statement. The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals.

Organisers of the protests urged masses to converge and join an ongoing sit-in underway in Khartoum since the weekend. They issued a statement vowing to remain in the streets until the "regime steps down completely and power is handed to a civilian transitional government."

Thousands of protesters, including women carrying their children, were seen making their way on Thursday toward the military headquarters, clapping and ululating, many flashing "V" for victory. There were also unconfirmed reports that the airport in the Sudanese capital had been closed.

Ahead of the statement, Sudanese radio played military marches and patriotic music as the TV said there will be an "important statement from the armed forces after a while, wait for it."

The development followed deadly clashes between Sudanese security forces and protesters holding a large anti-government sit-in outside the military's headquarters Khartoum, which also include a presidential residence. There were several attempts to break up the sit-in, leaving 22 dead since Saturday.

On Tuesday, Sudanese security forces tried again to disperse the sit-in, which began over the weekend, killing at least 14 people, activists behind the demonstration said. The government said 11 died. The fatalities so far have included five soldiers who protest organisers said were defending the sit-in.

The months of protests have plunged Sudan into its worst crisis in years. The demonstrations initially erupted last December with rallies against a spiraling economy, but quickly escalated into calls for an end to embattled al-Bashir's rule.

Security forces have responded to the protest movement with a fierce crackdown, killing dozens. Al-Bashir banned unauthorised public gatherings and granted sweeping powers to the police since imposing a state of emergency last month. Security forces have used tear gas, rubber bullets, live ammunition and batons against demonstrators.

The protests gained momentum last week after Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in power for 20 years, resigned in response to weeks of similar protests

'Arab Spring 2.0'

The protests gained momentum last week after Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in power for 20 years, resigned in response to weeks of similar protests, prompting comparisons with the 2011 Arab Spring wave of uprisings that threatened long-serving autocrats in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria and Yemen.

On Saturday, marches in Khartoum marked the 34th anniversary of the overthrow of former President al-Numeiri in a bloodless coup. It was one of the largest turnouts in the current wave of unrest.

The military removed Nimeiri after a popular uprising in 1985. It quickly handed over power to an elected government. The dysfunctional administration lasted only a few years until al-Bashir – a career army officer – allied with Islamist hard-liners and toppled it in a coup in 1989.

Since the current protests began December 19, the military has stated its support for the country's "leadership" and pledged to protect the people's "achievements" – without mentioning al-Bashir by name.

Army troops have deployed to protect vital state installations but have not tried to stop protests and, in some cases, appeared to offer a measure of protection for the demonstrators.

All that raised the possibility that what was playing out in Khartoum on Thursday was a military takeover and removal of al-Bashir.