Only one day after Sudan’s longtime autocratic ruler, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, was ousted by his own defense minister — a close ally — the defense minister announced on state television that he was stepping down as head of the transitional government and would be replaced by yet another military leader.

The move was seen as an effort to assuage the thousands of protesters who have camped outside the country’s military headquarters in the capital, Khartoum, for the last seven days, demanding that a civilian government replace Mr. al-Bashir and his military coterie.

This was the second time in two days that the protesters had forced the departure of a ruler they found unacceptable. On Friday night, demonstrators in the streets reveled at their newfound potency, but many said they would not be satisfied until the country was in the hands of civilian leaders.

“This news, it’s progress, but I cannot call it the progress we really want,” said Prof. Muawia Shaddad, an astronomer and civil society activist who is on a committee helping to organize the protests. As he spoke by telephone from Khartoum, people could be heard cheering and beeping their car horns.