Sudan’s executive body’s commander, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has announced the dissolution of the transitional government and sovereign council, as well as imposed a nationwide state of emergency.
He made the declaration in a televised address after military forces detained the prime minister alongside government officials in charge of overseeing the democratic transition after the removal of dictatorial President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
They were taken away after “refusing to support the coup”, he said.
“To rectify the revolution’s course, we have decided to declare a state of emergency nationwide… dissolve the transitional sovereign council, and dissolve the cabinet,” Burhan added .
Soldiers fired live rounds at protesters who took to the streets to protest the power grab, according to his statement, which came as confrontations erupted in the capital, Khartoum.
Before troops invaded the headquarters of Sudan’s official broadcaster in the capital’s twin city of Omdurman, Internet connections were cut across the country before morning, and the key routes and bridges entering Khartoum were closed, according to the ministry.
The power grab, which comes after weeks of tensions between the military and civilian figures sharing power since Bashir’s ouster, was condemned by the international community
America’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman said “the US is deeply alarmed at reports of a military takeover of the transitional government”.
“The EU is deeply concerned that Sudanese military forces have reportedly placed Prime Minister Hamdok under house arrest, as well as other members of the civilian leadership,” said Nabila Massrali, a spokesman for the European Commission.
America’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman said “the US is deeply alarmed at reports of a military takeover of the transitional government”.
“Any changes to the transitional government by force puts at risk US assistance,” he said on Twitter.
The UN has described the detentions as “unacceptable”.
The African Union and Arab League also expressed concern.
