The toppled Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has been released and escorted to his home in Khartoum by the country’s military.
The AFP reported that Dr Hamdok was taken to his home under tight security on Tuesday evening following condemnation of the coup and detention of the civilian leaders by the international community.
The City Review ascertained that the US government had issued a notice stopping the $700 million it had pledged to the Khartoum government to help the country transition to democracy. Also, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the ‘‘immediate release’’ of Dr Hamdok who was detained alongside other civilian leaders.
On Tuesday afternoon, Sudan’s top military general Lt Gen Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan confirmed that Dr Hamdok had indeed been arrested alongside other ministers.
Al-Burhan however maintained that Hamdok was safe and that the latter’s arrest was in ‘‘good faith to secure his life’’. He revealed that he had the premier at his own home adding that he would be released later on Tuesday or earlier on Wednesday.
But on Wednesday morning, AFP quoted the office of the premier confirming that the premier had been freed. Yesterday, the premier’s office expressed fears that Hamdok’s condition remained unknown and that it was alarmed by the inadequacy of information, particularly on his safety.
While addressing a press conference in Khartoum yesterday, Al-Burhan distanced himself with the putsch saying the allegations that they had staged a coup lacked authenticity. But he also failed to describe in the best way the takeover which took place in Khartoum.
He blamed the civilian leaders for polarization and incitement within the army and also threw shades at the critics saying ‘‘no one can lecture them on how to conduct affairs of Sudan because they know better.’’
According to Al-Burhan, the takeover was carried out to avoid the emergence of civil war after the anti-government uprising started showing its horns.
However, some Sudanese people opposed to the military rule have vowed relentless protests till the civilian government is restored.