Sudan's military dissolves ruling government, arrests acting PM Abdalla Hamdok- Get all details here

Sudan's military coup: Sudan’s leading military general Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan dissolved the ruling Sovereign Council and declared a state of emergency in the nation in a televised address on October 25, 2021. He announced that the military will run the country. 

This comes hours after his forces arrested the acting Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other top officials. They also reportedly disrupted the internet in an apparent coup at a time when the country was nearing a planned transition to civilian leadership.

The declaration led to protests by thousands of Sudanese, who took to the streets.

Sudan military coup 

Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan,  who had been heading a joint council with civilian leaders, announced during his televised address that the infighting between politicians, ambition and incitement to violence had forced him to act to protect the safety of the nation and to "rectify the revolution's course". He, however, pledged to complete the country’s democratic transition, saying that a new technocrat government would lead Sudan to elections.

The military coup threatens to derail Sudan’s two-year-long and arduous attempt to transition to democracy after the protesters had ousted the longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. The move came right before the military was supposed to hand over the country's joint military-civilian administration to civilians next month.

Civilian protests 

Following the arrest of top government officials, thousands of Sudanese flooded the streets of the capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman to denounce the coup. Online footage shows protesters blocking the streets and setting fire to tires as security forces used tear gas to disperse them.

At least 12 protesters have been reported to be wounded in the demonstrations. Some of the protestors said that they will not leave the streets until the civilian government is back and the transition is back.

As per reports, the internet is down in the nation and army and paramilitary troops have been deployed across the city. The main Khartoum airport has been shut down and all international flights have been suspended.

Key Details 

•Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan had been heading a joint military and civilian council that had been created to run the country since Omar al-Bashir’s ouster under a power-sharing arrangement between military and civilian leaders.

•A transitional government was set up after Bashir's ouster two years ago but the military and civilian leaders have been at odds ever since then. 

•This military coup comes amid a deep economic crisis. The military was supposed to hand over the administration to the civilians in the coming month. 

•The military general, however, reiterated that Sudan was still committed to "international accords" and the transition to civilian rule, with elections planned for July 2023.

Who all have been arrested?

As per reports, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok has been put under house arrest along with members of his cabinet and other civilian leaders.