Washington: Sudan's military hijacked the political process

The US State Department says that the military authority in Sudan has hijacked the political process, stressing that Washington is pressing for the release of the detained prime minister and civilian officials. On the other hand, the European Union strongly condemned the attempted coup in Sudan.

Price confirmed that the United States has not had any contact with Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Pool New/Reuters)

The US State Department said that the military authority in Sudan has hijacked the political process, pointing out that its behavior "contradicts the constitutional document."

"There is a strong condemnation of the army's control of matters in Sudan," Price said, in a press conference, on Tuesday evening, according to what Al Hurra TV reported.

He added that his country "is pressing for the release of the prime minister and the civilian officials who have been detained."

At dawn on Monday, the army carried out a campaign of arrests that targeted the prime minister, ministers, officials and party leaders, hours before Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency, dissolved the Sovereignty Councils and the Transitional Ministers, relieved the governors, and suspended some provisions of the constitutional document on the transitional period.

Price confirmed that the United States had not had any contact with Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

The army forces arrested Abdullah Hamdouk and placed him under house arrest, amid tight security.

Price said: "We know that the military authority in Sudan has hijacked the political process and its endeavor is inconsistent with the constitutional document."

He stressed that his country will use all appropriate tools to help Sudan return to the democratic path.

However, he added, "If we feel that contacting the Sudanese military will be constructive and beneficial for the interest of the Sudanese and the democratic process, we will not be ashamed to do so."

For his part, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, said that if the situation in Sudan does not return to the way it was, this will have "serious consequences", including the issue of financial support for the country.

Borrell said in a statement issued by his office, on Tuesday, that the European Union strongly condemns the attempted coup in Sudan.

He added that the President of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, declared a state of emergency in the country and suspended the constitution, "which can never be accepted," calling for respecting the right to peaceful protest, preventing violence and further bloodshed, and holding perpetrators of human rights violations accountable for their actions.

He pointed out that the European Union strongly supports the democratic transition process in Sudan.

For the second day in a row, Khartoum and the rest of the country's states are witnessing, on Tuesday, demonstrations against Al-Burhan's decisions.

Four protesters were killed and dozens were injured, according to the (non-governmental) Central Committee of Sudan Doctors, which accused the military council forces of shooting them, while it was not possible to obtain a comment from the military institution.

Countries and regional and international organizations condemned Al-Burhan's decisions, and called for calm, non-escalation, and commitment to the transitional phase map.

Prior to Monday’s procedures, Sudan had been living, since August 21, 2019, a 53-month transitional period that ends with holding elections in early 2024, during which power is shared by the army, civilian forces and armed movements that signed a peace agreement with the government in 2020.