SUDAN: Military coup underway as soldiers detain high ranking govt officials

By: Ollus Ndomu

In what has been described as a coup attempt, soldiers have detained several high ranking government officials including Prime Minister, Abdallah Hamdok, the country’s information ministry has said.

The information ministry said military forces have shutdown the internet and have closed bridges, actions that have prompted the country’s main pro-democracy group to call on people to take to the streets to counter what has been described as an apparent military coup.

In early hours of Monday, Sudan state news channel played patriotic traditional music while showing scenes of the Nile river without covering the escalating protests on the streets.

The country’s largest political party, Umma, has described the arrests of government officials as an attempted coup.

Umma has since called on Sudanese people intensify street protests as a way of resisting the army’s move.