General declares state of emergency in ‘coup’

SUDAN’S top general declared a state of emergency, dissolved the authorities leading country’s democratic transition, and announced the formation of a new government after soldiers detained civilian leaders yesterday in what activists denounced as a “coup”.

General Abdel Fattah al-burhan’s announcement in a televised address came after armed forces detained figures of the government in charge of leading the transition to democracy since the April 2019 ouster of autocratic president Omar al-bashir.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was detained and moved to an undisclosed location after refusing to issue a statement in support of the coup, said the information ministry, still apparently under the control of Hamdok’s supporters. The ministry called for resistance against the coup.

It said tens of thousands of people opposed to the coup had taken to the streets and had faced gunfire near the military’s headquarters in the capital Khartoum. At least 12 people were injured in clashes, a doctors’ committee said on its Facebook page.

The director of Hamdok’s office, Adam Hereika, said that the military had mounted its takeover despite an agreement Hamdok had reached with

Burhan, in the presence of a visiting US special envoy, Jeffrey Feltman. Hereika accused the military of fomenting unrest in eastern Sudan and using the crisis to implement a coup.

A journalist in Khartoum saw joint forces from the military and from the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces stationed in the streets of Khartoum. They restricted civilians’ movements, as protesters carrying the national flag burnt tyres in different parts of the city.

Protesters opposing the army

takeover moved past barricades and entered the street surrounding military headquarters in Khartoum, footage on the Qatar-based Al-jazeera Mubasher television channel showed. It also showed soldiers standing by as protesters passed them and marched down the street. Citing witnesses, Al-arabiya television said there were injuries in clashes in front of army headquarters.

Sudan has been on edge since a failed coup plot last month unleashed recriminations between military and civilian groups, who have been sharing power following the toppling of long-serving ruler Omar al-bashir two years ago.

The political transition, which was agreed after Bashir was brought down by street protests, has seen Sudan emerge from international isolation under Bashir’s nearly three-decade rule. Elections were to be held by the end of 2023.

The information ministry said military forces had arrested civilian members of the Sovereign Council and members of the government.

The ministry asked Sudanese “to block the military’s movements to block the democratic transition”. “We raise our voices loudly to reject this coup attempt,” it said.

The military was meant to pass leadership of the joint Sovereign Council to a civilian figure in the coming months. But transitional authorities had struggled to move forward on issues, including whether to hand over Bashir to the International Criminal Court, where he is wanted for war crimes.

In recent weeks, civilian officials had claimed credit for some tentative signs of economic stabilisation after a sharp devaluation of the currency and the lifting of fuel subsidies. Feltman, who was visiting Sudan at the weekend, said the US was deeply alarmed at reports of a military takeover. Feltman warned that a military takeover would contravene Sudan’s Constitutional Declaration and puts at risk US assistance.

The UN was deeply concerned about reports of a coup and attempts to undermine Sudan’s political transition, said Volker Perthes, special representative of the UN secretary general for the country. The Arab League expressed concern about reports of a military coup in Sudan and called on all parties to adhere to an agreement about a transition to democracy.

Aside from the political tension, Sudan is in the midst of a deep economic crisis, marked by record high inflation and shortages of basic goods, that was beginning to show signs of easing amid flows of international aid.

Western states have warned that any military takeover could put badly needed international financial assistance at risk.

Military forces stormed Sudanese Radio and Television headquarters in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum, and arrested employees, the information ministry said on its Facebook page.