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Sudanese Army Arrests, Detains Prime Minister Hamdok, Other Civilian Leaders Amid Coup Reports

October 25, 2021

The Sudanese Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok was also placed under house arrest by the military men

Sudanese soldiers have arrested most of the members of country's cabinet and a large number of pro-government party leaders on Monday in an apparent military coup, France24 News reports. 

The Sudanese Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok was also placed under house arrest by the military men as three political sources confirmed to this newspaper, throwing a fragile transition towards democracy into turbulence. 

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A United States Special Envoy, Jeffrey Feltman revealed that the United States was deeply alarmed at reports of a military takeover of the transitional government in Sudan.

On the official Twitter of the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs, Feltman warned that a military takeover would violate Sudan's Constitutional Declaration and endangers the US assistance to the country.

"The US is deeply alarmed at reports of a military take-over of the transitional government. This would contravene the Constitutional Declaration and the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people and is utterly unacceptable," Feltman said.

Citing unidentified sources, Saudi-owned, Dubai-based Al Hadath said Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok had been placed under house arrest and military forces arrested four cabinet ministers, one civilian member of the ruling Sovereign Council, and several state governors and party leaders.

However, there has been not no immediate comment from the military.

The information ministry said "joint military forces" had arrested civilian members of the Sovereign Council and members of the government and had taken them to an undisclosed location.

Sudan has been on edge since a failed coup plot last month unleashed bitter recriminations between military and civilian groups meant to be sharing power following the 2019 ouster of former leader Omar al-Bashir.

Bashir was toppled and jailed after months of street protests. A political transition agreed after his ouster has seen Sudan emerge from its isolation under three decades of rule by Bashir and was meant to lead to elections by the end of 2023.