By Dannia Radwan
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's army on Wednesday evacuated about 600 protesters to the southeast of the capital, Khartoum, in the latest attempt to end a wave of demonstrations in the country.
It followed the resignation of longtime Defence Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf and a decision by President Omar al-Bashir to remove Sudan's powerful intelligence chief and four of his deputies.
The army removed at least 150 demonstrators from a square, then later announced an operation to move them to a football stadium in Omdurman, the southern city from which protests broke out two weeks ago.
"The military has decided to transfer all those protesters to the stadium in Omdurman," Lieutenant General Awad Ahmed Osman, head of Sudan's military, told reporters. "We will not hesitate to use force if necessary."
Earlier, protesters chanted slogans against the army and called for the general public to boycott military institutions.
"Leave Omdurman now! We will not leave! Leave! Leave! Leave!" they chanted as Sudan's military vehicles drove slowly through the streets.
Sudan's state news agency quoted a military spokesman as saying that the protesters had refused to leave and that the military had moved to the nearby stadium.
The protesters were later taken in small groups in army vehicles to the stadium in Omdurman, east of Khartoum.
"It is a night of celebration for the youth of Omdurman," said a large crowd at the stadium chanting "Long live Sudan".
Security forces blocked roads near the stadium. Witnesses said gunfire was heard in the area.
Soldiers with AK47 rifles and wearing green military uniforms arrived at the stadium just after midnight.
They fired in the air and shouted "God is great! God is great!"
"We're all here, what can the military do to us? We're here to stay, our demands will not be satisfied," said 27-year-old protester Abdalasah Ali.
"The army has left us, we want to stay, the protests are continuing," said another protester, Ahmed Ahmed.
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Mohamed Adel, a protester in Khartoum, told Reuters the military had withdrawn for a few hours while protesters established a camp at the stadium.
"It has been agreed that the youth of Khartou
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