Sudan Suspended From African Union After Military Takeover of Government

It will continue to stay suspended "until the effective restoration of the civilian-led transitional authority."

African Union chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. 

Image courtesy: African Union website. 

The African Union (AU) on Wednesday, 28 October, initiated measures to suspend Sudan from all participation in the Union until the military backs down and the civilian government is brought back to administer the country, Deutsche Welle reported.

The Union said that it "strongly condemns the seizure of power," and even called the military's actions "unconstitutional."

Sudan will continue to stay suspended "until the effective restoration of the civilian-led transitional authority."

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, in a short statement, expressed "deep dismay of the serious development of the current situation in Sudan, which has resulted, among other things, in the arrest of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdock and other civilian officials."

He called for the "immediate resumption of consultations between civilians and military within the framework of the Political Declaration and the Constitutional Decree" and reaffirmed that "dialogue and consensus is the only relevant path to save the country and its democratic transition."

Mahamat also demanded "the release of all arrested political leaders and the necessary strict respect of human rights."

Sudan has been engulfed in chaos after the military led Abdel Fattah al-Burhan arrested members of Sudan's civilian leadership and placed the Abdalla Hamdok, the legitimate prime minister, under house arrest.

This was the second coup attempt in less than two months time. The first one, allegedly organised by military members loyal to Omar al-Bashir, the dictator who ruled Sudan from 1989-2019 before being ousted, was successfully thwarted.

Protests erupted and show no signs of abating, despite the military using force to crack down on the protestors.

(With inputs from Deutsche Welle and Africa Union)