(Washington) The United States on Monday strongly condemned the overthrow of the civilian government by the military in Sudan and called for its “immediate restoration”, announcing the suspension of significant financial assistance of $ 700 million to the Sudanese transition.
“We totally reject the dissolution of the transitional civilian government and its institutions and call for their immediate reestablishment,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Monday evening.
“The arrest of Prime Minister Hamdok and other civilian leaders is unacceptable. The military forces must guarantee their safety and release them immediately, ”he added.
Washington has also expressed concern over reports of live ammunition firing at peaceful protesters by Sudanese law enforcement, calling for an immediate end to such violence.
“In light of these developments, the United States is suspending” $ 700 million in aid for democratic transition, Blinken said.
His spokesperson Ned Price had already announced this measure earlier today. “We are suspending all of this amount,” he insisted, while specifying that this did not concern humanitarian aid.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane dissolved the transitional authorities on Monday. Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok and almost all civilian leaders arrested in a coup that took place just hours after the departure of the United States’ Horn of Africa envoy Jeffrey Feltman from Sudan .
The latter was on the spot precisely to try “to improve relations” between “the civilian leaders and the military leaders”, explained Ned Price, assuring that the diplomat had had no indication, before leaving, of the imminence. of these “undemocratic acts”.
The State Department spokesman also said Washington had “not been in contact” with the prime minister or other political actors since their arrest. “The military is responsible for their safety, their health, and their conditions,” and “we will hold them to account” in this regard, he said.
Three people were killed and 80 injured on Monday by the military in Khartoum during protests against the military coup.
Ned Price left the threat of sanctions hanging by promising to consider “all appropriate measures” to “hold accountable those who resort to violence” and “those who would be responsible for derailing the march of Sudan. towards democracy ”.