Sudan’s army General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has ordered the release of four civilian ministers detained since he led a military coup last week, state-run television said.
Sudan TV on Thursday identified the four ministers as Hashem Hassab Alrasoul, telecommunications minister; Ali Geddo, trade minister; Hamza Baloul; information minister; and Youssef Adam, youth and sports minister.
The announcement came as the United Nations has been coordinating efforts to find a way out of Sudan’s political crisis following the October 25 coup in which top civilian politicians were detained and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was placed under house arrest.
The UN special envoy for Sudan said talks had yielded the outline of a potential deal on a return to power-sharing, including Hamdok’s reinstatement. But it had to be agreed in “days not weeks” before both sides’ positions harden.
Last week, al-Burhan said he wants to form a new government of technocrats, and that Hamdok could return to lead it. On Wednesday, Hamdok’s office denied a report he had agreed to lead a new government and insisted that he wanted detainees released and governing bodies restored before entering into any dialogue.
Neighbourhood resistance committees, which have led protests since the coup and held demonstrations on Thursday, reject negotiations and have demanded that the military exit politics.
Thursday’s announcement about the four ministers came a day after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which enjoy close ties with Sudan’s ruling military, reviewed their stance against the military coup by joining a call for the restoration of the civilian cabinet. The two Arab states had previously only emphasised stability in the country.
