Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Saturday appointed Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf as first vice-president and defence minister.

Axar.az reports citing Xinhua.

"Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Saturday issued a Republican decree appointing Lt. Gen. Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf as first vice president and defence minister," Sudanese Presidency said in a statement.

Ibn Auf has been defence minister in the government dissolved by al-Bashir on Friday.

The president on Friday declared state of emergency all over Sudan for one year and dissolved the central and states' governments in the wake of popular protests which the country has been witnessing since Dec. 19 last year over the deteriorating economic conditions and price hikes.