Sudan PM Hamdok reportedly under house arrest in apparent coup
The internet is down in Sudan as demonstrators gathered on the streets to protest the arrests, media reports say.
Sudan’s military has placed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok under house arrest and detained members of the civilian government in an apparent coup.
Several civilian leaders of the ruling coalition of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) were arrested early on Monday morning in the capital Khartoum, officials of the group said.
There was no immediate comment from the military. Sudanese state TV broadcast as normal.
Witnesses said internet services appeared to be down in the capital Khartoum and rest of the country.
A military force also stormed the house of the prime minister’s media adviser and arrested him early on Monday, family sources told Reuters news agency.
Unidentified Sudanese military forces reportedly arrest four cabinet ministers and one civilian member of the ruling sovereign council, local media said.
Sudanese Professionals Association called upon Sudan’s people to take to the streets to “resist” any military coup, the association statement said.
Sudan on edge
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 after months of street protests.
A political transition agreed after his ouster was meant to lead to elections by the end of 2023.
As tensions built this month, a coalition of rebel groups and political parties aligned themselves with the military.
Supporters of the military have been staging a sit-in outside the presidential palace calling on the military to dissolve the civilian government.
The military head of the Sovereign Council has previously asserted his commitment to the transition.
TRT WORLD