Sudan Coup: Before Being Arrested And Taken Away By The Army, PM Abdalla Hamdok Had A Chance To Meet The US Special Envoy

JAKARTA - Prime Minister Sudan, Abdalla Hamdok, last weekend had a meeting with the United States Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman, before being arrested and taken away by the army for not supporting the coup of the armed forces on Monday.

Military forces detained at least five senior Sudanese government figures, putting Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok under house arrest on Monday, officials said, as the country's main pro-democracy group called on people to take to the streets to fight the military coup.

Last week tens of thousands of Sudanese marched in several cities in support of the full transfer of power to civilians, and to resist a days-long sit-in outside the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum demanding the return of "military rule".

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok previously described the split in the transitional government as the 'worst and most dangerous crisis' facing the transition. On Saturday, he denied rumors he had approved a Cabinet reshuffle, calling them 'inaccurate'. The prime minister also "emphasized that he does not monopolize the right to decide the fate of transitional institutions".

On the same day, US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman met with PM Hamdok, accompanied by the head of Sudan's governing body General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary commander Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

"Feltman stressed the United States' support for a civil democratic transition by the wishes of the Sudanese people", the US Embassy in Khartoum said, citing Daily Sabah October 25.

Analysts say the recent mass protests show strong support for civilian-led democracy, but the street demonstrations warned of may have little impact on the powerful factions pushing for a return to military rule.

Monday's arrests came after weeks of escalating tensions between Sudan's civilian and military leaders. A failed coup attempt in September left the country fractured along old lines, pitting conservatives who wanted military rule against those who toppled Omar al-Bashir more than two years ago in mass protests.

Previously reported, Al-Hadath TV named Industry Minister Ibrahim al-Sheikh, Information Minister Hamza Baloul, and media adviser to the prime minister, Faisal Mohammed Saleh among senior government figures arrested by the military. The spokesman for the Sudanese Ruling Council, Mohammed al-Fiky Suliman, and the governor of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Ayman Khalid, were also detained.

"Civil members of the transitional sovereign council and several ministers from the transitional government have been detained by the joint military forces", the information ministry said in a statement on Facebook.

"They have been taken to an unknown location", the ministry added. It said PM Hamdok was detained on Monday, after refusing to support the armed forces coup.

It said the armed forces detained Hamdok on Monday after he refused to support a military coup.

"After he refused to be part of the coup, troops from the army detained Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and took him to an unknown location", the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), a group leading demands for a transition to democracy, said there were blackouts of internet and phone signals across the country. He urged people in a press release to reject the army's attempts to seize power.