US suspends relations with Sudan’s junta

The United States on Thursday suspended discussions with Sudan on normalizing relations between the two countries after the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir and said it would run the country for two years, Reuters reports.

The State Department, while declining to declare the takeover a coup, said it supported a peaceful and democratic Sudan and believed the Sudanese people should be allowed a peaceful transition sooner than only in two years.

“The Sudanese people should determine who leads them in their future,” spokesman Robert Palladino said at a news briefing.

“The Sudanese people have been clear that they have been demanding a civilian-led transition. They should be allowed to do so sooner than two years from now.”

Military leaders in Sudan said presidential elections would take place after a two-year period of military rule following the ouster of Bashir.