Thousands of Sudanese have been protesting against the government of President Omar al-Bashir in the capital Khartoum since December, prompting him to dissolve the cabinet and declare a year-long state of national emergency. Protests reached a climax on 11 April, with the army reportedly staging a coup.
Following months of protests, the Sudanese Armed Forces have decided to remove the country's long-time president, Omar al-Bashir, from all posts and dismiss the government, Arabic-language media reported.
LIVE UPDATES: Unrest in Sudan Amid Reports of Military Coup Attempt
In light of the alleged military coup, here are some key facts about al-Bashir, who's been governing Sudan for 30 years.
Al-Bashir, who was born into a farmer family in 1944 in northern Sudan, which used to be a part of the Kingdom of Egypt and Sudan, enrolled in a military academy in Egypt in 1960. He also graduated from another military academy in Khartoum in 1966 after his family moved to Sudan. He rose through the ranks quickly and even took part in the 1973 Yom Kippur War against Israel, serving in the Egyptian Army.
Being a brigadier in the Sudanese Army, al-Bashir was responsible for waging operations in the south of the country against the late rebel John Garang, who led the Sudan People's Liberation Army during the Second Sudanese Civil War.
As the civilian government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi kicked off negotiations…
