Cairo – The United States on Tuesday urged Sudan’s ruling military junta to reverse measures taken following a coup last week, and repeated calls for the release of civilian leaders.
“We… condemn the dissolution of the transitional institutions and want to see the October 25 measures reversed,” Jeffrey Feltman, the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, told reporters.
Feltman had been in Khartoum meeting with Sudan’s top general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan – the de facto ruler of the embattled country after the 2019 revolution that toppled long time dictator Omar al-Bashir – just hours before the coup.
“As soon as we left they decided to just turn over the entire negotiating table in favour of a military takeover,” he told reporters.
ALSO READ | Sudan’s ousted PM says solution hinges on return of govt, says ministry
Burhan declared a state of emergency and detained Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and members of his cabinet, many who remain under military guard.
Washington said last week that Feltman had no previous knowledge of the military’s intentions and would have warned against the move.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say they lied, but they seemed to be talking to us in bad faith,” Feltman added. “We didn’t…envision this type of betrayal”.
Last week, the US suspended $700 million in aid to Sudan after the military takeover.
Feltman said the US has been in touch with Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to discuss Sudan’s political crisis.
He described Burhan’s actions as “hijacking the transition” and called for the release of all political detainees.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: Getty Images
Source: AFP
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
