Sudan's Transitional Government Prime Minister Returns Home Military Says "Not a Coup"

According to Xinhua News Agency, Abdullah Hamduk, prime minister of the Transitional Government of Sudan who was detained by the military, returned to his home on the 26th.

The commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said on the same day that the military operation was "not a coup d'état". He pledged to form a new non-military Government to steer the transition process.

【Prime Minister Goes Home】

The Transitional Government Prime Minister's Office said on the 26th that hamduk couples have returned home and are currently under "close surveillance", while several transitional government ministers and members of the Sudanese sovereign committee are still detained by the military, and the location is unknown.

Bulhan said at a press conference earlier on the 26th: "The prime minister (Hamduk) was at home before. But we were afraid he would be in danger, so we took him to my house and stayed with me... He is in good physical condition. ”

Burhan said the military had "arrested a number of ministers and politicians, among whom those charged with criminal charges would be detained and likely to be tried for "inciting confrontation with the military" and the rest would be released.

On the 25th, the Sudanese military suddenly launched an operation in khartoum, the capital, to detain some officials. The Transitional Government stated that the military had detained the Hamduks, several Transitional Government ministers and non-military members of the SovereignTy Council. Burhan then announced, via state television, that a state emergency would be imposed, the sovereign commission and the transitional government would be dissolved, and a new government would be formed.

The SovereignTy Council is the Transitional State Authority of the Sudan and is composed of 11 members, both military and non-military, chaired by Burhan. The Hamduk-led transitional government is composed of non-military officials.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the actions of the Sudanese military on the 25th and demanded the immediate release of Hamduk and other detained officials.

["Not a coup d'état"]

Burhan said at a press conference on the 26th that Sudan's "dangerous situation last week may lead the country into a civil war" and that the military action was to "correct the transitional line" and "not a coup".

Burhan said the newly formed government "will be a completely non-military government, made up of capable people in the country, never including eccentrics," and that once formed, the state emergency will be lifted.

In April 2019, the Sudanese military overthrew then-President Omar Al-Bashir to establish a Transitional Military Council. In August of the same year, the Transitional Military Commission reached an agreement with non-military political forces to dissolve the Transitional Military Commission and establish a Sudanese Sovereignty Commission. In September, the Transitional Government of Sudan was formed and Hamduke became Prime Minister.

After two years of difficult transition, the political situation in the Sudan has recently become tense again. The military has called for a reshuffle of the transitional government, non-military officials have accused the military of wanting to seize power, and supporters of both sides have held demonstrations in Khartoum.

When Bulhan declared a state of emergency on the 25th, he said that the military will still promote the transition process, and the newly formed government will lead the country until the elections are held in July 2023, and the state power will eventually be handed over to the non-military government.

Edited by Jia Congcong