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Russian deputy foreign minister says Moscow recognizes new Sudan authorities

Tuesday, 16 April 2019 4:58 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 16 April 2019 6:39 PM ]

The file photo shows Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov speaking to the press in the capital Khartoum, March 16, 2019. (By AFP)

Russia's deputy foreign minister has said Moscow recognizes the new Sudanese authorities in Khartoum amid political uncertainty in a country whose president, Omar al-Bashir, was toppled by the military after 30 years in power.

Mikhail Bogdanov said on Tuesday that Moscow recognizes a military council that will run Sudan's affairs for a two-year transitional period, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported.

In response to a question whether the Kremlin would maintain contact with the Sudanese authorities, the Russian official said, "Yes, of course."

On April 11, the day President Bashir was toppled by the military, Leonid Slutsky, the head of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian lower house, said Moscow would continue cooperation with the Sudanese government regardless of which party assumes control.

Sudan’s military formed the council to run the country after the ouster of Bashir.

Since then the head of the military council and of Sudan's powerful National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) have both been replaced. The military council said on Monday it was restructuring the joint forces command, appointing a new chief of staff for the army and a deputy.

High-ranking public prosecutors fired

Meanwhile, the head of the council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, sacked chief prosecutor Omar Ahmed Mohamed Abdelsalam and deputy public prosecutor Hesham Othman Ibrahim Saleh, as well as head of public prosecutions Amer Ibrahim Majid.

PressTV-African Union pressures Sudan to transfer power

The African Union threatens to suspend Sudan’s membership unless the military council that has swept power in the country hands it over to civilians.

On Sunday, Sudan's Foreign Ministry urged the international community to support the country's new military rulers in order to ease a "democratic transition."

"The ministry of foreign affairs is looking forward to the international community to understand the situation and to support the transitional military council... in order to achieve the Sudanese goal of democratic transition."

Sudan’s main protest group, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), has demanded the immediate handover of power to a civilian transitional government as well as prosecution of former officials.