Sudanese army says it holds president, won't extradite him

The Sudanese army will not extradite deposed President Omar al-Bashir but will put him on trial at home, the military said Friday as it defended its seizure of power after ousting the longtime ruler.

The ouster of al-Bashir after months of escalating street protests against his rule has sparked calls for him to be handed over to the International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide for his deadly campaign against insurgents in Darfur.

In the Darfur conflict in the 2000s, up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million driven from their homes by militias backed by al-Bashir's government. Notably, the military council that has taken power after removing al-Bashir is led by Defense Minister Awad ibn Ouf, a veteran establishment insider who himself is under sanctions by the United States for his alleged role in supporting those militias.

Protesters have rejected the military's announcement that it will rule the country for the next two years, calling it a continuation of al-Bashir's regime. Thousands defied a curfew imposed by the military and continued a week-old sit-in outside the military's headquarters in Khartoum, vowing they would not end their street campaign until a civilian transitional government is created.

A day after his removal, al-Bashir was in custody, a senior figure in the military council, Col. Gen. Omar Zein Abedeen, told reporters. But he declined to provide more details or say where the president of 30 years is being held. He also confirmed that top government members, including the vice president and al-Bashir's associates, are under arrest but didn't give any names.

To hand over the 75-year-old al-Bashir for trial would be "an ugly mark on Sudan ... even rebels carrying weapons, we don't extradite them," said Zein Abedeen, who has been tasked by the military to lead a dialogue with Sudan's political parties.

He left open the possibility that a future civilian government in Sudan could extradite al-Bashir to the court in The Hague, Netherlands.

Speaking at a press conference aired live on state TV and flanked by other uniformed officers, Zein Abedeen insisted the army has no ambition to hold the reins of power for long. He said the two year period was the maximum and said the military would rule only as long as need, suggesting it could hand over power earlier.

"This was not a coup," but a "tool of change," Zein Abedeen said. "We came ... to guide the country forward." But protest organizers rejected the military's assurances, calling them "deception and farce."
Men and women in the crowds beat drums, clapped and chanted, "Down with military rule" and "We won't be silent until ibn Ouf is out." Dozens unfurled a meters-long Sudanese flag and marched around the square, chanting, "Freedom." The U.S. State Department has called on the Sudanese military to "follow the will of the people" and "commit to the speedy handover to civilian rule."