Sudan protesters ask army hand over immediately

The Sudanese protest movement has rejected the military's declaration that it has no ambitions to hold the reins of power for long after ousting the president of 30 years, Omar al-Bashir.

In an online statement, the movement depicted the army's assurances as a "deception" and called for an immediate handover of power to a civilian transitional government.

The statement came shortly after a press conference on Friday in Khartoum by the country's new military rulers.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, which has spearheaded the four months of demonstrations against al-Bashir, denounced the military's statements as a "farce."

It also vowed to "resist" by peaceful means all the extraordinary measures the military has imposed since Thursday's ouster of al-Bashir, including the nighttime curfew and state of emergency.