Abdalla Hamdok still under house arrest, UN envoy Volker Perthes says

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok

A file photo of former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

Photo credit: Ashraf Shazly | AFP

Juba,

The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Sudan in a tweet has disputed news that Sudan’s former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was released. He claimed that the former prime minister is still under house arrest.

Mr Volker Perthes stressed that Mr Hamdok was still confined within his premises in Khartoum by coup military chief Gen Abdel Al-Burhan’s associates.

“Just met Hamdok at his residence where he remains well but under house arrest. We discussed options for meditation and the way forward for Sudan. I will continue these efforts with other Sudanese stakeholders” Mr Volker said.

Meanwhile, United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken called on Burhan's regime to release civilians arrested during the massive protests.

 

He reiterated his call on Sudanese military forces to release all civilian leaders in detention and to ensure their safety. The US envoy also expressed his deep concern about the ongoing military takeover and repeated the imperative for military forces to use restraint and avoid violence in responding to demonstrators.

 He emphasised US support for the civilian-led transition to democracy and for a return to the principles of Sudan’s transitional framework, as laid out in the 2019 Constitutional Declaration and the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement.

There is a growing chorus of international voices condemning the military takeover and supporting the calls by the Sudanese people for civilian leadership, democracy, and peace.

As of Saturday, at least three civilians were killed in a nation-wide protest against Sudan's new regime, according to medics.

The three civilians killed in Omdurman were part and partial of tens of thousands of Sudanese protesting against Abdel Al-Burhan’s new military leadership.

The killings registered brings the total number of those killed since the protest started to thirteen. And over 100 injured.

But Burhan's regime has denied killings, alleging that one police man was injured by the protestors.