Coup in Sudan; Military Violence and People’s Street Resistance

Clashes between soldiers and street protesters in Khartoum have left seven dead and 140 wounded. The Security Council is expected to hold a closed-door session on the situation in Sudan. The United States has suspended a $700 million aid package to the country.

Unrest and resistance in Sudan’s capital against the military coup have been accompanied by bloody clashes. Despite the declaration of a state of emergency, many young people have blocked the city’s streets and staged protests against the military.

Reuters, citing Sudanese medical officials, reports that seven protesters were killed and 140 injured in street shootings.

The “Forces of Freedom and Change,” Sudan’s main opposition coalition pushing for al-Bashir’s removal, called on citizens via Twitter to resist military domination through civil disobedience, peaceful protests, and street blockades.

Sudan’s Ministry of Information has also called on the people to resist, stating that employees of the country’s central bank have gone on strike in protest of the coup. According to the ministry, dozens of government officials and non-military members of the sovereignty council have been arrested, including the director of the news television network.

The Ministry of Information in Sudan, which remains loyal to Abdullah Hamdok, the country’s ousted prime minister, emphasized on its Facebook page that the military’s actions are a crime, and according to the transitional constitutional law, only the prime minister has the right to declare a state of emergency.

Reuters, citing diplomats, reports that the UN Security Council will likely hold closed-door discussions on Sudan on Tuesday, October 26 (November 4).

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department announced that it is suspending a $700 million package of economic support for Sudan. A spokesperson for the department said Washington has no information about the whereabouts or condition of Abdullah Hamdok, the transitional prime minister.

Currently, the internet is cut off in Sudan and airports have suspended all domestic and international flights.

The military has placed Abdullah Hamdok under house arrest. According to reports, four government ministers and Hamdok’s press advisor have also been arrested.

Hamdok became Sudan’s transitional prime minister after al-Bashir’s removal from power and the beginning of the sovereignty council’s work in 2019.

Many countries around the world have condemned the coup in Sudan. The United Nations, the Arab League, and the African Union have expressed concern about the current situation in Sudan.

Moussa Faki, chairman of the African Union Commission, called in a statement for the immediate release of political leaders and respect for human rights in Sudan. Britain called the military coup a “betrayal of the people,” and France called for the immediate release of Hamdok and other civilian leaders. Egypt has asked all parties to exercise restraint.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, which was one of the organizers of the uprising against al-Bashir, has called on people to strike. Sudan’s two major parties, “Umma” and “Sudan Congress” have also strongly condemned the coup and the arrest of people.

Source: DW