Coup in Sudan: ousted Prime Minister Allowed to Return Home as General Says Politicians “Fanned Strife” | Sudan
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The deposed Sudanese prime minister and his wife were allowed to return home a day after their arrest when the military seized power in a coup, according to a statement released by his office.
The release of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and his wife on Tuesday follows international condemnation of the coup and calls from the military to release all government officials who were detained when General Abdel-Fattah Burhan took over. power Monday.
The statement from Hamdok’s office said other government officials were still in detention, their location unknown.
The deposed prime minister and his wife were under “enhanced security” at their home in the upscale Kafouri neighborhood in the capital Khartoum, a military official said. The official did not say whether they were free to leave or make calls.
The European Union said Tuesday evening that the new regime was facing “serious consequences”, including the withdrawal of its financial support. The United States has already suspended $ 700 million in aid while the IMF has said it is monitoring events closely.
Earlier today, Burhan said in a televised press conference that Hamdok had been detained for his own safety and would be released. But he warned that other members of the dissolved government could face trial as protests against the coup continued in the streets.
The military seized power in a movement that was widely denounced abroad. On Tuesday, pro-democracy protesters blocked the capital’s roads with makeshift barricades and burning tires.
Witnesses in Burri district, east of Khartoum, said security forces fired tear gas at protesters blocking a main road in opposition to the coup. At least 10 people have died in the unrest since Monday.
“Frenzied putsch forces are attacking protest rallies in distinct parts of the country,” said the Sudanese Professionals Association, a federation of unions that were instrumental in the protests that led to the impeachment of the long-time dictator. Omar al-Bashir date of power in 2019 and his replacement by sharing power between the civil parties and the military. The new regime has already decided to dissolve the leadership of the powerful unions.
Burhan appeared to take a more defensive note as he tried to explain why he had taken power, perhaps in a post aimed at Western sentiment as the US, UK and Norway described the coup d’etat as a “betrayal of the revolution, the transition and the legitimate demands of the Sudanese people for peace, justice and economic development”.
âThe whole country was at a standstill due to political rivalries,â Burhan said at a televised press conference. âThe experience of the last two years has shown that the participation of political forces in the transition period is imperfect and stirs up conflicts.
âYes, we have arrested ministers and politicians, but not all of them,â Burhan added.
Although Burhan again pledged that the military will continue the political transition in Sudan, the country’s experience during long periods of previous military rule casts doubt on these claims.
During an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Secretary-General António Guterres urged world powers to unite to deal with a recent “epidemic of coups d’état.” But the most powerful UN body took no action during the closed-door consultations on Sudan, an African nation linked by language and culture to the Arab world.
The coup ends a period of tense power-sharing between civilian and military leaders, which has faltered in recent months as negotiations between opposition political factions have collapsed.
Hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of Khartoum and other major cities to demand full civilian rule, days after a sit-in called for a return to military rule was launched.
Burhan tried to blame the crisis on Hamdok for refusing to compromise with the generals in weekend talks involving the Sudanese parties and negotiated by US envoy Jeffrey Feltman. Burhan said the military acted because he was concerned about the risk of civil war, accusing the political forces of incitement against the armed forces.
Hamdok had been detained at Burhan’s home, the general said, and was in good health. But among the many other senior government officials detained on Monday, Burhan said some had tried to incite a rebellion within the armed forces, saying they would stand trial. Others who would be found “innocent” would be released, he added.
Hamdok’s office had expressed concerns for his safety and other detained officials. In a statement, the office accused the military leaders of acting in concert with the Islamists, who advocated for a military government, and other politicians linked to the now disbanded National Congress Party, which dominated Sudan during the regime supported by the Islamists of Bashir.
President Joe Biden’s administration announced the halt of $ 700 million in emergency aid to Sudan and said on Tuesday it was considering sending stronger signals to the generals.
“They should first of all cease all violence against innocent civilians, and (…) they should release those who have been detained and they should return to the path of democracy,” said Jake Sullivan, national security adviser of the ‘administration.
Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, said he spoke with Hamdok on Tuesday and welcomed his release. Blinken stressed that the United States supports a civilian-led transition to democracy in Sudan, according to a State Department statement.
Mariam al-Mahdi, the foreign minister in the dissolved government, said on Tuesday that she and other members of the Hamdok administration remained the legitimate authority in Sudan.
âWe are still in our positions. We reject such a coup and such unconstitutional measures, âshe told The Associated Press by telephone from her home in Khartoum. âWe will continue our peaceful disobedience and resistance. “
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