In Sudan, the country's highest military representative, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has announced the dissolution of the transitional government. A state of emergency will be imposed across the country, said al-Burhan in a televised address. With the second attempted coup, the military apparently took power within just one month. Burhan also announced the dissolution of the Sovereign Council, which had led the transition to democracy and which included members of the military as well as civilians. Burhan, who himself chaired the council, justified the action by saying that peace and security in Sudan had been endangered . The military had to act to protect the security of the country. The military will continue the democratic transition until power is handed over to a civilian elected government.He announced an election for July 2023. Until then, an independent government should lead Sudan.

In the East African country there is reported to have been an attempted coup early Monday morning.

The Prime Minister Abdullah Hamduk was abducted by members of the military to an undisclosed location, according to a message on the official Facebook page of the Ministry of Information.

Previously, the Al Hadath broadcaster and the Sudan Tribune news portal reported on the attempted coup.

According to the information from the Ministry of Information, Hamduk refused to support the coup and called on the Sudanese people to “hold on to peace and occupy the streets in order to defend the revolution”.

Members of the transitional government and several ministers are also said to have been arrested.

The Internet and the cellular network are blocked and bridges are blocked, it said on the Facebook page of the Ministry of Information. The military stormed the headquarters of radio and television stations in Omdurman, near the capital Khartoum, and arrested employees there.

Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) has condemned the arrest of several leading members of the government in Sudan. "The reports of another coup attempt in Sudan are dismaying, the attempt is clearly to be condemned," said Maas on Monday. He called on all those in Sudan who “bear responsibility for security and the state order” to continue the transition process towards democracy. “This attempted coup must be stopped immediately,” demanded Maas. Political differences of opinion would have to be resolved in a peaceful dialogue.

The United States was "deeply alarmed" and threatened to suspend aid.

A violent coup would undermine the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people and would be "completely unacceptable," wrote the American special envoy for the region, Jeffrey Feltman, on Twitter.

European Union Foreign Representative Josep Borrell said he was following what was happening with "the greatest concern".

The AP news agency reported, citing two Sudanese officials, that at least five senior government officials had been arrested, including two ministers and a civilian member of the sovereign council.

The governor of Khartoum state is also said to have been arrested.

Military and paramilitary forces were reportedly deployed on the streets of the capital, Khartoum.

The airport was closed according to the Arab broadcaster Al Arabiya.

Patriotic music was played on state television.

Burning tires and protesters

Several parties and associations called on the population to take to the streets and protest against the takeover of power by the military.

Protesters could be seen carrying the national flag and burning tires.

Fears of a coup d'état had increased in the past few days, the reason being rising tensions between the military and civilian part of the Sudanese transitional government.

Supporters of both camps demonstrated for days in Khartoum and other cities in the country.

After the overthrow of the long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir as a result of mass protests in April 2019, the military and an alliance of civil forces and rebel groups agreed on a joint civil-military transitional government until there was to be general and free elections.

The former military chief Abd al-Fattah al-Burhan acted as chairman of the “sovereignty council” and thus the de facto head of state, while the office of prime minister was taken over by the civilian Hamdok.

However, this coalition has proven increasingly fragile since the summer.

At the end of September there was an attempted coup by parts of the military loyal to al-Bashir, but it was suppressed.

After that, the mutual accusations on both sides increased.

Al-Burhan called for the Hamdok government to be dissolved.

The military received support from demonstrators who accused the government of being responsible for Sudan's severe economic crisis.

At the same time, there were repeated demonstrations for a complete handover of power to the civil government, and hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets for this on Thursday.

Over the weekend, the United States' Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, held talks in Sudan to resolve the crisis.