Sudanese dictator President Omar al-Bashir has been kicked out of office after the military staged a successful coup last Thursday, but the path towards democracy in the north African nation remains a struggle. Instead of establishing a new, democratic government that al-Bashir’s dissenters have been calling for, the military has announced they will rule Sudan for the next two years. The decision is being met with protests all around the nation, as well as the international community.

“We are calling on the authorities to address the people’s demands, and whatever transition is taking place needs to take place with a meaningful participation of dissenting voices and of civil society,” said Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani.

Sudanese people have been largely dissatisfied with al-Bashir, who had been in power for thirty years before he was removed last week, and his oppressive government for a long time. Large-scale protests have been going on for months, calling for al-Bashir’s resignation, when the military decided to take the matter into its own hands. They seized the government using force, and overthrew its leaders. However, the protesters and the military have not been on the same page ever since, clashing on whether and when to give the power back to the people.

“If they [the military] don’t bring a civilian government representing the Sudanese people properly, our revolution would be incomplete and would not represent the hopes and dreams of the Sudanese people” said Ahmed Abbas, a participant of the protest rallies.

Throughout the history of Sudan, the power has gone back and forth between the military and civilian leadership. President al-Bashir himself became the president through a coup, in 1989. However, the scale of nationwide protests for democracy going on right now signal that this time, Sudanese people might be able to truly take back their government.

“We will continue to strike, and we will stay at the square until all our legitimate needs are met,” said Abbas.