SUDANESE protesters resisted an attempt by the military to break up a sit-in today despite its promise to not use force against civilians.

Around 5,000 protesters outside the Defence Ministry in the capital Khartoum stood their ground by linking hands and forming a chain as they chanted “freedom” and “revolution.”

Footage of the protest shows hundreds of troops surrounding the crowd.

But there were no clashes or casualties as the protest entered into its 10th day.

Organisers the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) urged people to join them and defend the sit-in from any dispersement attempts.

Protester Mohammed Jakur said they are protesting to “remove the entire system” which “does not give service equally to the people.”

“[It is] a system that leaves people under poverty,” he said.

A transitional military council was set up on Thursday to run the country following Omar al-Bashir’s removal.

The SPA is urging an immediate transfer of powers to a civilian government and “completely rejects” the military council.

The Sudanese Communist Party said the military council was “part of the old regime.

“The confrontation between the military council and the civil opposition is around the immediate transfer of authority to the  forces of freedom and change,” it said, demanding the army council be dissolved.

It blamed imperialist powers including the US and “reactionary Arab governments” for backing a military coup once it became clear Mr Bashir could not cling to power and called for the people to “occupy the streets” until the revolution was successful.

Sudan’s military said today it was restructuring the council and appointed a new army chief of staff and deputy chief of staff.