MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. President of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burkhan declared a state of emergency in the country and dissolved the Sovereign Council, as well as the Cabinet of Ministers, on Monday.
A few hours earlier, the Sudanese army has detained a number of senior officials and has taken control over the capital’s key facilities. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, that was placed under house arrest, called on citizens to take to the streets.
Thus, the compromise between the Sudanese military and civilian authorities, which has existed since the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, has been undermined.
What happened
On Monday night, the Sudanese military and law enforcement services began arresting civilian officials following the talks between Hamdok and al-Burkhan, the details of which are unknown. The prime minister and his closest adviser were placed under house arrest. Several ministers, leaders of political parties, the Khartoum Governor Ayman Nimr and Member of the Sovereignty Council Mohamed al-Faki were apprehended.
The Internet facilities and mobile communications were cut off in the Sudanese capital, according to the Al Arabiya TV channel, landline phones also do not work. The army blocked off the entrances to the capital, bridges and central streets, while the car traffic has completely stopped.
Furthermore, the military took over the building of the Sudanese Radio and Television Corporation. The Khartoum airport is also blocked, the flights have stopped two days ago, the Al Arabiya TV channel noted.
What the military announced
During his address to the nation, al-Burkhan declared a state of emergency as "the army's response to the youth revolution." Also, the leader dissolved both the country's government and the Sovereign Council and suspended a number of articles of the Constitutional Declaration, which was signed by Sudan's military and civilian forces in 2019 for a three-year transition period.
Al-Burkhan promised to hold national general elections in July 2023, until then, the country will be run by an independent government.
How the opponents reacted
Shortly before being placed under house arrest, Hamdok called on his supporters to "take to the streets, stand up for the revolution, but adhere to peaceful protests."
Advocates of the Forces of Freedom and Change opposition movement also urged citizens to "resist the army’s attempts to seize the power."
The Sudanese have already started gathering for a protest, thousands of people blocked the streets of Khartoum and its satellite town Omdurman. At least 12 people have suffered gunshot wounds as a result of the clashes.