Authorities in Sudan said on Tuesday that a group of soldiers attempted to overthrow the government, but they said the attempt failed and that the country’s ruling council and military remained in power. After more than two years after the military overthrew longstanding despot Omar al-Bashir amid a popular revolt against his three-decade rule, the development emphasized the precariousness of Sudan’s route to democracy.
On state television, the government urged citizens to “fight” the coup attempt, but did not disclose any other information on the plot. Unspecified numbers of personnel from the armoured corps, according to a military officer, are believed to be behind the attempt, which included attempts to seize control of multiple government institutions before being stopped in their tracks. He stated that they intended to gain control of the military headquarters as well as the state television station.
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According to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media, more than three dozen troops, including high-ranking officers, have been detained so far this year. According to the state-run SUNA news agency, Brig. Al-Tahir Abu Haja, a media consultant for the military’s top commander, said that the armed forces “thwarted the attempted coup and that everything is entirely under control.” According to the agency, all servicemen who took part in the attempt have been apprehended, and investigations have been launched.
“The degradation occurring in Sudan in terms of political and military disagreements,” said political expert Amin Ismail, who believes the attempted coup was the result of the “deterioration occurring in Sudan.” In a statement, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok accused remnants of President Omar al-regime Bashir’s of orchestrating the coup and characterized it as an attempt to destabilize Sudan’s democratic transition. This is something Ismail concurred with, saying that the coup attempt’s goal was to “impede the democratic transfer of power and obstruct the transitional period” in the country.
The Sudanese government has been on a precarious route toward democracy since the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, following four months of major demonstrations. The country is presently governed by a coalition of civilian and military authorities. The transitional government has come under growing pressure to bring the hostilities with rebel groups to a close as it strives to repair the country’s devastated economy, attract desperately needed foreign aid, and provide the democracy that it promised to the people.
