Cairo, October. Military forces arrested at least five senior figures in the Sudanese government on Monday, officials said, as the country’s main group called on people to take to the streets to confront what appeared to be a military coup.
The Sudanese Professionals Association, a group that is leading demands for a transition to democracy, said there were interruptions in internet and phone signals across the country.
The prospect of a military seizure of power would be a major setback for Sudan, which has struggled with the transition to democracy since former President Omar al-Bashir was ousted by mass protests, The Associated Press reported.
Monday’s arrests come after weeks of escalating tensions between Sudan’s civilian and military leaders. A failed coup attempt in September divided the country along old lines, pitting conservative Islamists who want a military government against those who ousted Bashir more than two years ago in mass protests. In recent days, both camps have taken to the streets in demonstrations.
The arrest of the five government figures was confirmed by two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
It was not immediately clear the whereabouts of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, amid media reports of security forces being stationed outside his home in Khartoum. Pictures circulating online showed men in military uniforms allegedly standing in the dark near his home.
Ayman Khaled, the governor of the state that includes the capital, Khartoum, was also arrested, according to his office’s official Facebook page.
The arrests followed meetings held by the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, with Sudanese military and civilian leaders on Saturday and Sunday in an attempt to resolve the conflict. Sudan’s state news website highlighted the meetings with military officials.
RAE