Protests Continue in Sudan Against Military Coup, Military Leader Pledges Elections

Protesters returned to the streets in Sudan on Tuesday, a day after a military coup, including calls for civilian disobedience and a general strike. In the capital, Khartoum, barricades reportedly were being erected and tires burned in protests against the coup. At least seven people were killed and more than 80 injured in the military’s crackdown on the protesters on Monday. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday announced the dissolution of the transitional government and the joint civilian-military Sovereign Council, the country’s current ruling body, and declared a state of emergency for all of Sudan. He said in a statement on Tuesday that: “The affairs of the country will be run by an independent technocrat government where people of Sudan from all walks of life will be represented.” He pledged to hold elections in July 2023.  The country’s deposed prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, and five members of his cabinet, who were arrested and taken to an undisclosed location on Monday, remained unaccounted for on Tuesday. In addition, all telecommunications in Sudan have been disrupted. Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said that the normalization between Israel and Sudan may have to be reevaluated following the coup. “I think the normalization effort between Israel and Sudan is something that will have to be evaluated as we and as Israel watches very closely,” he told reporters Monday.