Putsch in Sudan? Military appoints head of government - Federal Foreign Office warns

If reports from Khartoum prove to be true, there will be the second attempted coup in a few weeks in Sudan.

Resistance to the military is stirring on the streets of the capital.

Khartoum - In East African Sudan, parts of the military apparently attempted a coup early Monday morning.

Prime Minister Abdullah Hamduk was abducted by members of the military to an undisclosed location, according to a message on the official Facebook page of the Ministry of Information.

Previously, the Al-Hadath broadcaster and the

news portal

reported on the fixing of Hamduk.

According to the British organization Netblocks, which documents Internet blocks worldwide, the Internet, the mobile network and parts of the fixed network have been disrupted since the early hours of the morning.

The Sudanese Professionals Association called for resistance on Facebook.

Push for Sudan?

Prime Minister appeals: "Hold on to peace, occupy the streets"

According to a Facebook message from the Ministry of Information, Hamduk refuses to support the coup and has called on the Sudanese people to "hold on to peace and occupy the streets to defend the revolution".

Members of the transitional government and several ministers were also arrested, it said.

The military stormed the headquarters of radio and television stations in Omdurman near the capital Khartoum and arrested employees there.

Important bridges should be closed.

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Abdullah Hamduk, head of the Sudanese government, during a press conference in Khartoum.

(Archive image)

© AP / dpa / archive

According to an eyewitness, it was quiet that morning in the Khartoum residential district of Riyadh.

The eyewitness said that civil resistance had been called over the loudspeakers of the local mosque.

Protesters reportedly burn tires;

the sky had turned black, said the eyewitness.

A nearby four-lane road was blocked by demonstrators with stones and tires.

Sudan: Foreign Office warns - also USA "deeply alarmed"

After the first reports of an attempted coup, the USA was “deeply alarmed” and threatened to suspend aid. A violent coup would undermine the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people and would be "completely unacceptable," wrote the US special envoy for the region, Jeffrey Feltman, on Twitter. The United Nations Special Representative for Sudan, Volker Perthes, also expressed his "deep concern" in a statement and called on both sides to enter into dialogue.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas declared that another attempted coup should be “clearly condemned”.

He called on those responsible in Sudan to “continue the peaceful political transition process in Sudan towards democracy and to respect the will of the people”.

The differences of opinion would have to be resolved through dialogue.

"This attempted coup must be stopped immediately."

The Foreign Office * advised against unnecessary trips to Sudan in view of the development.

“In connection with internal political unrest in Khartoum extensive bridges and roadblocks were erected, both by the military and as part of demonstrations.

The telephone and Internet connections have largely been cut off, ”said the ministry in a current travel advice.

“Stay in a safe place” and “avoid crowds”.

Sudan: Second attempted coup within a good month?

The tone between civilian members of the transitional government and the military had grown sharper in recent weeks.

According to government information, there was already an attempted coup on September 21.

Since then, the political situation in Sudan has worsened.

There have been protests for weeks.

Protesters called for the military to withdraw from the government and for democratic reforms.

Sudan was ruled by Omar al-Bashir for almost 30 years.

The long-term ruler was driven out of office in April 2019 by months of mass protests and a military coup.

As a result, the military and the civil opposition agreed on a joint transitional government that should pave the way for elections.

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