Sudan's ruling council head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced on Monday a state of emergency across the country and the dissolution of the transitional sovereign council and the government.

In a televised address, General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan announced that he was dissolving the country’s ruling Sovereign Council, as well as the government led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

Burhan is a military officer who headed the Sovereign Council, a power-sharing ruling body.

Burhan said a new technocratic government would lead the country to elections. He set the date for elections at July 2023. He said quarrels among political factions prompted the military to intervene. He also announced the suspension of the anti-corruption task force. 

In response, thousands flooded the streets of the capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman to protest the apparent military takeover. Videos on social media also showed large crowds crossing bridges over the Nile to the center of the capital.

Listen to the audio in Arabic