Bashir detained in secure place- Army

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been removed from power and detained by the army, Defence Minister Awad Ibnouf announced on state television on Thursday.

"I announce as minister of defence the toppling of the regime and detaining its chief in a secure place," Ibnouf said.

Bashir, who ruled with an iron fist since he took power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989, has been removed after deadly force failed to end four months of nationwide protests for his ouster.

Bashir, a political hardliner and controversial leader of Sudan, has stepped down after 30 years in power, reports said on Thursday.

United Arab Emirates-based Al-Arabiya network reported that Mr Al-Bashir resigned his position with immediate effect.

The 75-year-old has reportedly handed over to the country’s supreme military council controlled by the armed forces.

His ouster follows days of protests that have engulfed the country, which is amongst the largest by land mass in Africa.