State television in Sudan, stormed by soldiers, announced Monday morning that General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, head of the Sudanese transition, would speak shortly as a “coup d ‘Status’ is in progress.
According to the Ministry of Information, almost all of the civilian leaders of the country, one of the poorest in the world, are currently in the hands of “soldiers”, in particular the Prime Minister who refused a “coup” .
Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday dissolved the transitional authorities, almost all of the civilian members of which are already in the hands of the army, declaring a state of emergency after gunfire has already injured some of the people. pro-democracy protesters.
Since the morning, the “coup” denounced internationally has unfolded in several stages. The Prime Minister, his wife, many of his ministers and all the civilian members of the Sovereignty Council – the highest authority in the transition – were arrested by the military.
State television was taken by the military and at midday General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane appeared on it.
Constantly repeating that he still wanted “a transition to a civil state and free elections in 2023”, after 30 years of dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir, dismissed in 2019, he nevertheless relieved all the leaders of their functions. .
The government is dissolved, as is the Sovereignty Council, he said, prefects and ministers are sacked, and a state of emergency is declared across the country, he added.
Even before he spoke, thousands of Sudanese were taking to the streets shouting at the army. In front of the army headquarters in central Khartoum, cordoned off by soldiers and concrete blocks for days, 12 demonstrators were injured by gunfire from the armed forces, assured a doctor’s union and the Ministry of Information.
Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok’s office called for “demonstrations” against the “coup” to “protect the revolution” of 2019 that overthrew Bashir.
Fearing for the life of the leader held “in an unidentified location”, his office warned that the military authorities bore “full responsibility for his life” or his death, in a country already shaken by a failed coup d’etat. a month ago.
“I call on the armed forces to immediately release those detained,” urged the UN envoy to Sudan Volker Perthes, deeming “unacceptable” these arrests of civilians belonging to the transitional authorities.
The United States, whose emissary Jeffrey Feltman was still in the Prime Minister’s office the day before, has already warned that “any change in the transitional government endangers American aid”.
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, called on the international community “to put the Sudanese transition back on track”, while the Arab League and the African Union called for “dialogue”.
Faced with these accumulating criticisms, General Burhane gave a pledge of weight: he said he was committed to respecting the international agreements signed by Sudan, one of the four Arab states to have recently decided to recognize Israel. .
“Revolution”
In the streets of Khartoum, where the internet and telephone are no longer accessible to many, many Sudanese have been conspiring since early in the morning on General Burhane, AFP correspondents have noted.
“We reject the military regime and are ready to sacrifice our lives for the democratic transition,” one of them swore to AFP, Haitham Mohamed.
“We will not leave the streets until the return of the civilian government,” said Sawsan Bachir, also under the swarm of Sudanese flags.
In a country almost always under the rule of the military and the Islamists since its independence 65 years ago, the transition has been faltering for a long time.
Between power struggles among civilians and soldiers determined to keep their political and economic gains, it began in the sacred union before ending up fragmented.
In April 2019, the army initially pushed Mr. Bashir, under the pressure of a huge popular mobilization. Since August of the same year, a Sovereignty Council composed half of civilians and half of soldiers, led the country, promising the first free elections at the end of 2023.
But in recent days, tension has mounted between the two camps. On October 16, pro-armies pitched their tents in front of the presidential palace where the transitional authorities sit.
In response, on October 21, pro-civilians took to the streets of the country by tens of thousands, in a happy festival to, they said, “save” their “revolution”.
Divided civilians
Two days ago, the pro-civilian camp warned of a “rampant coup” during a press conference that a small crowd had sought to prevent.
But this camp is divided. The proof ? the sit-in which calls for a “military government” as the pro “revolution” all claim to be the Forces of Freedom and Change (FLC), the great anti-Bashir alliance which was created in 2019.