Sudan: in the wake of the putsch, the support of the old regime seems to be back in force

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan during a press conference in Khartoum, October 26, 2021. AFP - ASHRAF SHAZLY

Text by: Eliott Brachet Follow

3 min

Civilian leaders arrested during General Burhan's coup can still be found, their lawyer Kamal al-Jizouli said on Monday, who is worried about their health and possible legal consequences.

However, on Sunday, several figures of the former regime of Omar al-Bashir were released from prison, before being arrested again.

State television reported in the evening that General Burhan had sacked the acting attorney general who ordered the releases.

But for supporters of civilian power, this confirms that the coup wants to bring Sudan back to the era of dictatorship.

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From our correspondent in Khartoum, 

Among the figures of the former regime who were released and then arrested, there is in particular Ibrahim Ghandour, representative of the National Congress Party and Minister of Foreign Affairs under al-Bashir, as well as army and military officials. intelligence of the regime of Bashir, Mohamed Hamid Tabidi and General Al-Shazly Hamed Al-Madeh.

These releases followed by further arrests clearly embarrassed General Burhan.

They testify to the panic in the camp of the putschists, believe some analysts.

The supporters of the regime of Omar al-Bashir are engulfed in the breach of the coup, but put General Burhan at odds, while he continues to assert that this coup is not not one and that it is simply aimed at "

" of the Sudanese revolution.

Moreover, since he deposed Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on October 25, Burhan has faced increased international pressure.

Western donors, foremost the United States, France and Great Britain, are threatening to cancel several debt forgiveness to bend the military.

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According to researcher Kholood Khair, these sudden releases and arrests testify to divisions within the coup camp.

She believes that the coup was improvised and that the generals did not expect such an international condemnation, not to mention the immediate response of the Sudanese street on

.

General Burhan is deadlocked.

“

"

Two officials from the National Congress Party were also released last week: Dr Mamoun Humeida, former Khartoum state health director accused of corruption, and Abdelbasit Hamza, a financier who owned key companies for the party and had had ties with Osama bin Laden in particular.

These men had been arrested by the Committee for the Dismantling of the Old Regime, a body created after the fall of al-Bashir which had been the target of repeated attacks by the generals before the coup.

For a week, almost all of its representatives have been put under lockdown.

In the wake of the coup, the support of the old regime seems to be coming back in force.

General Burhan is walking on eggshells: it is the marriage of the military with the Islamists that had earned the Bashir regime to appear on the American list of states supporting terrorism synonymous with international sanctions.

Several dozen countries have called for a special session of the UN Human Rights Council devoted to Sudan, where the repression exercised by the military who have taken power has already killed several opponents of the putsch.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, under house arrest since the coup, estimated that "

 " was through the return of his deposed cabinet.

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• Sudan

• Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

• Abdallah Hamdok