The Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir has handed the leadership of the country’s ruling party to his newly appointed deputy the party said late Thursday, weeks into protests against Bashir’s rule.
“President Omar al-Bashir has transferred his authority as chief of the party to Ahmed Harun,” the ruling National Congress Party said in a statement.
“Harun will serve as the acting chief of NCP until the party’s next general convention, where a new president of the party will be elected.”
Demonstrations and deadly clashes have rocked Bashir’s iron-fisted rule since December, and last week he imposed a year-long state of emergency to quell the protests.
Bashir appointed Harun, wanted by the Hague-based International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in the conflict in Darfur, as his deputy party chief last week as part of top level changes in his administration in the face of ongoing protests.
Bashir himself is wanted by the ICC for alleged genocide and war crimes in Darfur, charges he denies.