Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir was this Thursday toppled by the country’s army after nearly four months of public demonstrations against his autocratic 30-year rule.

The army have since confirmed his overthrow and claimed that the president is being held in a safe place.  The military have also announced the formation of a transitional government that will hold sway for two years.

The 75-year-old ruler had earlier pledged to step down and that consultations were underway to form a transitional council.

Reports of Al-Bashir’s ouster came hours after Sudan’s state-controlled television said the army would make an important statement sometime on Thursday.

Thousands of residents of Khartoum, the country’s capital poured into the streets and marched to the headquarters of the country’s military where protesters had staged a sit-in since last Saturday.

There are also reports that army vehicles carrying troops have surrounded the presidential palace and that soldiers have raided the headquarters of Al-Bashir’s ruling party.

The protests began on December 19 last year, with demonstrators accusing the president and his government of economic mismanagement which has resulted into skyrocketing food prices as well as fuel and foreign currency shortages.

Al-Bashir, who came to power in an Islamist coup in 1989 had on February 22 imposed a nationwide state of emergency in an attempt to suppress the protests after an initial crackdown failed.

He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in connection with atrocities in the country’s western region of Darfur.