One of the questions the military takeover in Sudan has brought up is whether coups are on the rise in Africa.

Our colleagues at BBC Reality Check looked into this for us.

The BBC's Chistopher Giles reports that Africa has certainly had a high number of military takeovers, but this particular way of forcing change is, in fact, declining.

In the four decades between 1960 and 2000, the number of coup attempts remained remarkably consistent at around 40 per decade.

Since then there's been a significant decline. In the 2000s there were 22 attempts, and in the current decade the number now stands at 17.

Read more: Sudan coup: Are military takeovers on the rise in Africa?

The African Union has condemned the military takeover in Sudan, according to a statement, external.

"Military take over is not the appropriate response to the challenges facing Sudan and the aspirations of its people", chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said in the statement.

Specifically he criticised an "unconstitutional change of government".

He added that the Peace and Security Council will "meet swiftly" to make appropriate decisions.

Fergal Keane
BBC Africa editor

This is a military coup with no clear roadmap for how the generals plan to hand over power to civilian rule. The fear will be that they have no such intention. The security elite seems to have calculated that removing Omar al-Bashir and imposing a curfew will buy them time and end the protests.

If so, this represents a serious miscalculation. The Sudanese Professionals Association – who have spearheaded the demonstrations – and other civil society groups have made clear that they will not accept a cosmetic change. They have the numbers and are highly organised. The military has the guns and the capacity for imposing brutal repression.

But what then? A crackdown will not resolve the desperate economic crisis that brought years of simmering resentment onto the streets last December. There is also the question of the cracks within the Sudanese security establishment, evident during the clashes between soldiers and intelligence/militia forces in recent days. It is a volatile and unpredictable situation that demands cool heads and compromise on the part of the military. The stability of Sudan depends on how they react to continued protests.

Image source, AFP

Protesters outside the military headquarters in Khartoum are unhappy with the leaders of the transitional council, one witness told BBC Focus on Africa radio.

Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf is the defence minister and made the announcement earlier today that President Omar al-Bashir had been arrested and that the military would supervise a transitional government for two years.

Ahmed, a protester, at the sit-in outside the army told Focus on Africa:

Lt Gen Auf is among the individuals sanctions by the US over the conflict in Darfur.

For Ahmed there was a more appropriate transitional leader:

He suggested a head of an army battalion who had not been a minister.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has been removed from power and arrested, according to the country's defence minister.

This is how he made the announcement on state TV:

Image source, AFP

Omar al-Bashir is the latest African leader to have been ousted in the face of protests and after the military stepped in. Here are three of his recent predecessors.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algeria, 2019

After two decades in power, Mr Bouteflika resigned on 2 April, bowing to protesters' demands. The protests were triggered by the ailing 82-year-old's plans to run for a fifth term as president. He stepped down after the army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah demanded that he quit. However, his resignation has not placated the protesters, who want a complete overhaul of the political system.

Image source, AFP

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe, 2017

Mr Mugabe resigned on 21 November 2017 after the military turned against him over his decision to sack his vice-president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

His departure was preceded by intensifying street protests. He was succeeded by Mr Mnangagwa.

Image source, Getty Images

Hosni Mubarak, Egypt, 2011

Mr Mubarak resigned in February 2011 after nearly three decades in power. His departure ended weeks of bloody protests in which some 850 people were killed. The former air force commander left office after the military announced that it would respond to the "legitimate" demands of the people.

Elections followed in 2012, delivering victory to the Islamist Mohamed Morsi. His government too became the target of protests, and he was overthrown in 2013 and replaced by a general, Abdul Fatah al-Sisi.

Image source, Reuters

"A military council ruling for two years is not the answer," says UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in response to Sudan's military take over.

In a tweet, he praised the protesters and called for a "swift move" to civilian leadership:

Egypt expressed its "complete support" for the Sudanese people and their army in the political transition to come, reports AFP news agency.

They said they had full belief in "the ability of the brotherly Sudanese people and their loyal national army to overcome the challenges of this critical stage... in order to achieve stability, prosperity and development," a foreign ministry statement said.

It went on to say that Egypt respects Sudan's sovereignty and its national decisions, reiterating its backing of the country's march towards "stability and prosperity".

We've been looking for comment from countries on the continent but have so far not come across any other statements.

Those running an account in the name of Alaa Salah, a young woman known as the “Nubian queen” who has become a symbol of the Sudanese uprising, have dismissed the latest military announcement, accusing the regime of "hoodwinking" civilians.

Watch more on how Alaa Salah became a symbol to Sudanese protesters.

Correction 12/04/2019: This entry has been amended to reflect that the Twitter account does not belong to the protester Alaa Salah.

Protesters are chanting "Fall, again!" in Sudan's capital Khartoum, a witness has told Reuters news agency.

It is adapted from an earlier chant "Fall, that's all!", which was aimed at President Omar al-Bashir.

Since the military announced they were taking over and arresting Mr Bashir the mood has changed from celebration to anger, adds Reuters.

The main protest group has rejected the military takeover and called on people to remain at the sit-in at the military headquarters.

Before he was ousted, President Omar al-Bashir had racked up nearly three decades in power, making him one of the world's longest-serving leaders:

Earlier Lt Gen Auf announced that Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir would be arrested and taken to a safe place.

But we don't know where he is at the moment.

The last time the state media reported on him, while attending state functions in the country, was on Monday, says BBC Monitoring's Moses Rono.

His current whereabouts are the subject of speculation.

CNN said several hours ago that sources told them he was under house arrest, something we have not been able to confirm:

On Monday Sudan's News Agency Suna reported that he was in his office.

Some guess that he may have already fled to Saudi Arabia, while others suggest he may have a secret palace in Sudan's capital, Khartoum.

Here are some more details from the statement by Lt Gen Auf, announcing the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir.

• The newly established transitional military council will hand over power after two years
• He called on armed groups to join the country's political process
• He announced the creation of a new permanent constitution for the country

He also put an emphasis on a peaceful transition:

The Sudanese Professionals Association, which has been in the vanguard of the protests, along with other opposition groups have a statement on Twitter.

It says that the military takeover has recycled the same faces and the same people are in charge.

It goes on to say that the people should not stop protesting:

BBC Monitoring

Image source, AFP

The statement announcing the removal of President Omar al-Bashir was read by his deputy, the first vice-president and defence minister, Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf.

Lt-Gen Auf, 65, is a career soldier who previously served as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. During his tenure as defence minister, the Sudanese army has reportedly improved its artillery and rocket system. He previously served as the head of military intelligence.

His military, diplomatic and political experience put in him in a strong position to succeed Mr Bashir or to influence the succession.

He is among individuals sanctioned by the US over the Darfur ethnic conflict. The US has accused him of acting as liaison between the state and the government-backed Janjaweed militias. A UN fact-finding mission in 2005 put Lt-Gen Ibn Auf on the list of those responsible for the deteriorating situation in Darfur. As a result, the US has blocked, external his assets since May 2007.

The group spearheading the protests against President Omar al-Bashir has rejected the defence minister's statement, Reuters news agency reports, quoting a source at the Sudanese Professionals Association.

The association called on people to remain at the sit-in outside the military headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, Reuters adds.

Protesters will not be satisfied with the military announcement, journalist Reem Abbas in Khartoum told the BBC.

She said that the defence minister did not mention a civilian transitional government, but rather talked about a military transitional council.

The message "did not resonate with the people," she said. And she predicted that the protesters will stay on the streets.

The statement by Defence Minister Ibn Auf has been greeted with scepticism by several commentators on Sudan who are active on Twitter.

They argue that the statement falls short of meeting the protesters' demands, as the military regime is merely removing its figurehead, President Bashir, while retaining control of the country.

Sudanese journalist and blogger, Reem Abbas, has produced a quick summary of the statement by Defence Minister Ibn Auf.

Here are the key points of the military statement made on TV a few moments ago:

• President Omar al-Bashir will be arrested and taken to a safe place
• There will be a three-month state of emergency
• The military will supervise a two-year transition period
• A military transitional council will be established to supervise the period of transition, details of that council will be made in a later statement
• The 2005 constitution will be cancelled

In addition the Defence Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf insisted that human rights will be observed and made a plea that citizens tolerate security measures that will be implemented.