New Delhi: Sudanese authorities reported a coup attempt Tuesday by a group of soldiers but said the attempt failed and that the military remains in control.
Sudan’s state-run television called on the public “to counter” the attempt but did not provide further details. The state run Sudan News Agency later tweeted that an authorized source in the presidency of the council of ministers said that security and military authorities have thwarted a coup attempt at dawn. The situation is under control, and those involved have been arrested and investigations are underway.
A military official said an unspecified number of troops from the armored corps were behind the attempt and that they tried to take over several government institutions but were stopped in their tracks. Those arrested will be interrogated.
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Sudan has been on a fragile path to democratic rule since the military ousted the country’s longtime autocratic ruler Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, following four months of mass protests. The country is currently ruled by a transitional government composed of both civilian and military representatives that was installed in the aftermath of Bashir’s overthrow and is tasked with overseeing a return to full civilian rule.
Deep political divisions and chronic economic problems inherited from the Bashir regime have overshadowed the transition, with some civilian officials accusing the military of continuing to wield too much influence in the transitional government. In recent months, the government has undertaken a series of tough economic reforms to qualify for debt relief from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The steps, which included slashing subsidies and a managed float of the Sudanese pound, were seen by many Sudanese as too harsh. Sporadic protests have broken out against the IMF-backed reforms and the rising cost of living.
