In Sudan, the military has placed Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok under house arrest. An unidentified military unit besieged his home early Monday, Al Hadath TV reported, citing people familiar with the matter. According to media reports, other members of the government have also been detained by the military. The British broadcaster BBC reports that in addition to the head of government, at least four ministers are affected.
Family members of the head of state told Reuters news agency that armed forces stormed Hamdok’s media advisor’s house and arrested the prime minister there in the early hours of the morning. According to media reports, soldiers and paramilitary units are patrolling the streets of the capital Khartoum. 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. International air traffic to Khartoum is suspended. The Sudanese organization Sudanese Professionals Association called for resistance on Facebook.
The German Press Agency reported, citing an eyewitness, that it was quiet in the Riyadh residential area that morning. However, the sky has turned black, said the eyewitness. Images are circulating on social media showing crowds of people and burning tires.
After the fall of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, the North African country has had a government made up of military and civilians for over a year. However, profound conflicts continue to smolder in the country. In addition, according to the authorities, there are repeated attempts by Bashir’s supporters to weaken or overthrow the government. An attempted coup failed in September. In March of last year, Hamdok escaped an attempted assassination.