You're listening to a podcast from the BBC World Service. This is Hard Talk with me, Zainab Badawi.

Thanks for downloading this edition of the program and I hope you enjoy it.

Events have moved at breathtaking speed in Sudan in the past few days.

Umar al-Bashir is no longer president and is in prison along with his closest associates.

And a new military-led council is currently running the country. But the Sudanese Professionals Association that is

leading the street protest says their mission won't be accomplished until a transitional

civilian-led government is established.

Is there now a new standoff between the demonstrators and the military and where does Sudan go from here?

My guest is General Abdu Fattah al-Burhan,

the man who is head of the military council.

How long does he intend to stay in power?

General Abda Fattah al-Burhan, welcome to hard talk. The protests and sit-ins are being

escalated and intensified. You have reached a stalemate, haven't you?

Certainly, everybody was aware of the protests, and everybody was aware of the protests,

and everybody was aware the situation the state was in.

The state could have descended into chaos or collapsed.

The authorities did not pay attention to the matter.

Therefore, the armed forces deemed it necessary to take control.

But you have now warned the protesters against setting up roadblocks. You're saying things cannot continue like this because, as you say, security is the responsibility of the

state. I put it to you, General, that it sounds as though you're making a threat to the protesters.

We are part of the problem for which the protesters took to the street, but we represent no threat

to them. All we ask for is for the flow of food and oil supplies to resume and for people's

...