Sudan's Burhan says army ousted government to avoid civil war

Protesters block a road during what the information ministry calls a military coup in Khartoum, Sudan, October 25, 2021. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig

KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sudan's armed forces chief defended the military's seizure of power, saying he had ousted the government to avoid civil war, while protesters returned to the streets on Tuesday to demonstrate against the takeover after a day of deadly clashes.

The military takeover on Monday brought a halt to Sudan's transition to democracy, two years after a popular uprising toppled long-ruling Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir.