The diplomatic missions to the EU in Brussels, the USA, China, France, Qatar and Geneva are affected. US Secretary of State Blinken has offered aid to the country after a return to constitutional government.
Shortly after the military coup in Sudan, the army leadership reportedly relieved the country’s ambassador to the European Union and five other diplomats from their duties. In addition to the ambassador to the EU in Brussels, those in the USA, China, France and Qatar as well as the head of the Sudanese mission in Geneva were also deposed. The Sudanese state television and the Al-Arabiya TV channel reported on Thursday night.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed possible US support after the military coup in the North African country with Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam Sadik al-Mahdi. In a phone conversation with Al-Mahdi, he discussed how the United States can best support the desire of the Sudanese people for a return to a civilian-led transition to democracy, Blinken said on Twitter.
He condemned the takeover of the Sudanese military and the arrest of the civilian government. State Department spokesman Nid Price confirmed that Blinken had been discussing Washington government aid for a civil transition in accordance with the Sudanese Constitutional Declaration.
The military took power in the East African country with around 44 million inhabitants on Monday after the political situation worsened. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced the disempowerment of civilian members of the government and declared a state of emergency.
The ambassadors of Germany and other countries then demanded the reinstatement of the disempowered Prime Minister. They recognize Abdullah Hamduk as head of government and demand a meeting with him, it said in a joint statement by the EU delegation and the embassies of Germany, France, Great Britain, the USA and other countries on Wednesday. The immediate release of illegally detained ministers and representatives of civil society was also requested.
The African Union suspended the country’s membership until the disempowered interim government under civilian leadership was restored. The World Bank has suspended its payments to Sudan for the time being – as has the US, which has since approved the non-urgently needed staff at its embassy in Khartoum to leave the country.
Sudan had been ruled by Omar al-Bashir for almost 30 years. In April 2019, the long-term ruler was driven out of office after mass protests and a military coup. As a result, the military and the civil opposition agreed on a joint transitional government that would pave the way for elections. Numerous reforms followed, which enabled the oil-rich but impoverished country to break free from decades of isolation. The coup now threatens the loss of these hard-won achievements, to which broad sections of the population are vehemently resisting.