Protests continue in Sudan as U.N. confirms PM Hamdok is 'well'

Anti-coup protesters have taken to the streets once more, with civilians venting their frustrations over the power grab.

Sudanese anti-coup protesters carry the portrait of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, ousted by the military, during a gathering in the capital Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman on October 30, 2021.

Protests in Sudan continued on October 31 as defiance against the military coup entered its seventh day. Protesters manned barricades in Khartoum a day after a deadly crackdown on mass rallies. On October 30, tens of thousands of people vented their frustrations across the country, marching against the army's power grab, with at least three people dying, despite the police denying they had used live bullets to quell the unrest.

General Abdel-Fattah Burhan dissolved the Sudanese government on October 25 and declared a state of emergency. Burhan also detained Sudan's prime minister as well as a number of other members of the country's civilian leadership.

U.N. seeks a way out of the crisis

Earlier on October 31, a senior U.N. official discussed mediation options and possible next steps for the African country with its ousted leader, Abdalla Hamdok. Volker Perthes, U.N. Special Representative to Sudan, said he had met with detained Prime Minister Hamdok, who is being kept under armed guard by the military junta. "He (Hamdok) remains well but under house arrest," Perthes said. "We discussed options for mediation and the way forward for Sudan. I will continue these efforts with other Sudanese stakeholders."

Global outcry

The coup has been met with international disapproval, with the World Bank and the United States halting aid for a country already in disarray due to an economic crisis. U.S. President Joe Biden has described the coup as a "grave setback," while the African Union has suspended Sudan's membership for the "unconstitutional" takeover.

jsi/wd (AFP, AP, Reuters)