Military forces take control of Sudan; arrest prime minister and politicians
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said the coup was necessary
The Sudanese army on Monday took control of the capital Khartoum and arrested interim Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok as well as members of the sovereign council and other prominent politicians. The coup drew worldwide condemnation and the United States cut off US$700 million in aid, it was reported.
The city’s airport is closed and international flights have been suspended, while the internet and most phone lines are also down.
The group led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan also declared a state of emergency after firing on thousands of protesters who flooded the streets of Khartoum in opposition to the extreme measures that the triumphant rebels said were necessary to “rectify the situation of the revolution”. course” amid infighting between military and civilian parties.
As security forces used tear gas to disperse them, protesters could be heard shouting, “The people are stronger, stronger” and, “Withdrawal is not an option!” At least three people are believed to have died and some 80 were injured after soldiers fired into crowds opposed to a military takeover in Sudan. Troops reportedly went door to door in the capital Khartoum to arrest local organizers of the protest.
Sudan has been on the brink of institutional collapse since a failed coup last month sparked recriminations among power-sharing military and civilian groups following the overthrow of autocrat Omar al-Bashir a while ago. two years.
Members of a disparate alliance that includes warlords, military, militia leaders and former loyalists to the Bashir regime have called for the restoration of military rule, while several ministers took part in major demonstrations in Khartoum and other cities.
Prime Minister Hamdok was detained overnight and taken to an undisclosed location after denying state support for the coup, said the Information Ministry, which was still under the control of supporters of Hamdok.
As news of the coup spread, large numbers of anti-military protesters converged on key streets in Khartoum, pushing up barriers outside the military headquarters where clashes and injuries were reported. The Information Ministry said protesters faced gunfire as they gathered near the Defense Ministry headquarters.
Footage posted to social media appeared to show large crowds marching on Khartoum’s Africa Street, which runs from near the international airport towards the city center, with the sound of gunfire audible in some videos. Initial reports suggest at least a dozen people were injured.
Sudan has seen a series of coups since gaining independence from Britain and Egypt in 1956. Bashir came to power in a military coup in 1989 after toppling the last elected government from the country. Since Bashir was ousted by street protests, a political transition has seen Sudan emerge from international isolation under his nearly three-decade rule. Elections would take place at the end of 2023. The army was supposed to hand over the leadership of the joint sovereign council to a civilian, but the transitional authorities had struggled to move forward on issues such as Bashir’s surrender to the International Criminal Court, where he is wanted for war crimes.
