Guterres speaks with Sudan Army Chief, reiterates call for freeing detainees

The UN said, on Thursday, that Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, spoke with the Sudanese army chief via telephone and reiterated his call for the release of all civilian detainees.

Guterres again called for the release of Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok, and other civilians arbitrarily detained in Sudan after a coup, the UN said in a statement regarding the call with Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.

The UN chief “encouraged the developments of all efforts toward resolving the political crisis in Sudan and urgently restoring the constitutional order and Sudan’s transitional process,” it said.

Guterres also reaffirmed the UN will “continue to stand with the people of Sudan as they strive to fulfil their aspirations for a peaceful, prosperous and democratic future,” it added.

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Hamdok and several ministers in his civilian government were detained by the Sudanese military on 25 October, amid rising tensions between the military and civilian components of the transitional authority.

Shortly after detaining Hamdok, Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency and dissolved the transitional Sovereign Council and government, triggering mass protests.

Before the military takeover, Sudan was administered by a sovereign council of military and civilian officials which was overseeing the transition period until elections are held in 2023, as part of a precarious power-sharing pact between the military and the Forces for Freedom and Change coalition.