Deposed Sudanese PM at coup leader’s residence

By Ruot George

Sudan’s deposed civilian leader Abdalla Hamdok is being kept at the residence of the coup leader, Abdel Fattah Al Burhan.

Speaking at a press conference broadcast live from Khartoum on Tuesday, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said Hamdok wasn’t in custody but under protection for fear of his life.

“The prime minister is in my own residence because we had feared for his own life,” Burhan, who praised Hamdok as a patriotic and revolutionary leader, said.

“He was not kidnaped, he was not assaulted, he is in my own house” living a normal way of live, Burhan said.

Burhan staged a coup on Monday, deposing Prime Minister Hamdok who was leading a coalition government between the army and civilians, set up after the overthrow of former President Omar el Bashir in April 2019.

He insisted the coup leaders have no problems with Hamdok who he claims had good plans for Sudan, plans being thwarted by some politicians.

“We believe that he is patriotic and he will continue to support the revolution until a final positive outcome is achieved,” Burhan said.

On Monday, the coup leaders dissolved all governance positions including in the judiciary and declared a state of emergency in Sudan.

Burhan however said plans were underway to restore the judiciary in a day or two or by the end of the week.

The current coup is the 16^th in Sudan following independence in 1956.

Last month, an attempted coup was thwarted and several top military officials arrested.

It was blamed on Bashir’s sympathisers.

This successful one, Burhan said it was in the interest of development of the country.

“We are here to pave the way for the state institutions and unity and we are hoping that no political party in future will undermine our civil peace,” he said.

“We are sure that we are capable of laying the foundation stone.”