Sudan’s military took power in a coup

On Monday, the military arrested Abdalla Hamdok, civilian Prime Minister, and evaporated the country’s transitional government, sparking protests in some cities. According to Reuters, seven people died and 140 injured in the conflicts between protesters and security forces.

Experts say the coup could have a severe impact on the situation inside the country and beyond.

The coup

Tensions in Sudan started to accumulate after an attempted coup on the 21st of September. The country is divided between defenders of pro-military and pro-civilian rule. 

On Monday, several government officials, including Hamdok, moved to a secret location after denying to support the latest coup.

Telecommunications experienced restricted accessibility, while other outlets reported that the military had blocked bridges and roads into Khartoum (the capital city). 

On Monday, the political analyst at Oxford Economics Africa, Zaynab Mohamed, said in a note that an attempted coup seemed to be in progress. At the same time, these restrictions (telecommunications and other sources) make the situation difficult to estimate in real-time.

Mohamed said that the extended disagreement between the civilian and military government factions raised questions if the weak power-sharing agreement could last until democratic elections in 2023. He added that based on the current situation that it is less likely to last. He said that if the military manages to take over, it will affect the transition to democracy and interrupt the process, which frightens international humanitarian support.

Economic impact

Senior Africa analyst at political risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, Edward Hobey-Hamsher, said that the coup appears amid tension between the military and civilian factions of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council. Furthermore, he added that they blamed each other for the failure to solve the cost-of-living crisis. An effective blockade at Port Sudan by tribal protesters from the northeast resulted in the cost of living crisis.