Sudan protesters defy curfew after army ousts Omar Al-Bashir

Organizers of the months-long demonstrations that triggered the overthrow of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir have urged pro-democracy supporters to protest against a military takeover, renewing their demands for a civilian-led government.

The appeal by the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) came late on Thursday as tens of thousands of protesters defied a nighttime curfew announced earlier in the day by Defence Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf, who was sworn in as the head of a military council that replaced al-Bashir.

In a Twitter post, the SPA called on protesters to "gather now" and continue a days-long sit-in outside the army headquarters in the capital, Khartoum.

"Stay put and guard your revolution," it added. "To comply with the curfew is to recognize the clone rescue government."

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said that at least 13 people were killed when security forces intervened in Thursday's protests.

They included two demonstrators in the capital Khartoum, the committee said in a statement on Friday.

Since Saturday, at least 35 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, which have repeatedly tried to disperse the sit-in by force, it added.

Bashir, 75, had faced 16 weeks of demonstrations against him. Announcing the president’s overthrow, Ibn Auf said elections would be held at the end of the two-year interim period.

World powers, including the United States and Britain, said they supported a peaceful and democratic transition sooner than two years.

Speaking on state television on Thursday, Ibn Auf said Bashir was being detained in a “safe place” and a military council - which it was later announced he is heading - would now run the country.

Ibn Auf also announced a state of emergency, a nationwide ceasefire and the suspension of the constitution.

State television said there would be a curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Ibn Auf was due to meet journalists later on Friday.

Since December, Sudan has witnessed persistent demonstrations sparked by rising food prices that quickly escalated into wider calls for the departure of al-Bashir, who came to power in a 1989 coup.

The crisis intensified on April 6 - the 34th anniversary of a non-violent uprising that removed ruler Jaafar Nimeiri - when thousands began amassing in front of the army headquarters.

As the protesters refused to leave, while braving live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas, state media said on Thursday morning that the army would make an "important announcement".

This raised expectation of al-Bashir's removal and prompted celebrations in the streets of Khartoum.

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, called for an "inclusive transition" that will meet the "democratic aspirations" of the Sudanese people, while the African Union said a "military takeover was not the "appropriate response" to the country's challenges.

The United States, Britain, and the European Union called for a civilian-led transition, but Egypt, Sudan's neighbor, said it had "complete trust" in the country's military to "overcome this defining phase and its challenges".