KHARTOM, 30 October 2021, (TON): A military official said “Sudan’s strongman fired at least six ambassadors, including the envoys to the US, the European Union and France, after they condemned the military’s takeover of the country.”

The diplomats had pledged their support for the now-deposed government of Prime Minister Abddalla Hamdok. Their dismissal came hours before the United Nations Security council issued its first statement on recent events in the country, calling for the civilian transitional government to be restored to power and for those detained during the takeover to be released.

According to the official “also fired by Gen Abdel-Fattah Buran late were the Sudanese ambassadors to Qatar, China and the UN mission in Geneva.”

The ambassadors were fired two days after Burhan dissolved the transitional government and detained the prime minister, many government officials and political leaders in a coup condemned by the US and the West. The military allowed Hamdok to return home after international pressure for his release.

Burhan said “the military forces were compelled to take over because of quarrels between political parties that he claimed could lead to civil war.”

 However, the coup also comes just weeks before Burhan would have had to hand over the leadership of the Sovereign Council, the ultimate decision-maker in Sudan, to a civilian, in a step that would reduce the military’s hold on the country. The council has military and civilian members. Hamdok’s government ran Sudan’s daily affairs.

The coup threatens to halt Sudan’s fitful transition to democracy, which began after the 2019 ouster of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist government in a popular uprising.