Sudan Coup Fears amid Claims Military Have Arrested Senior Government Officials

The claim on its official Facebook page on Monday came as Sudan’s main pro-democratic political group, the Sudanese Professionals’ Association, said at least five senior government officials had been detained, and called on people to take to the street to counter an apparent coup, The Guardian reported.

The group also reported internet and phone signal outages in the country. Its officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The arrests comes after weeks of rising tensions between Sudan’s civilian and military leaders. A failed coup attempt in September fractured the country along old lines, pitting more conservative groups who want a military government against those who toppled autocratic former ruler Omar al-Bashir in mass protests. In recent days, both camps have taken to the street in demonstrations.

The officials said the detained included the industry minister Ibrahim al-Sheikh, the information minister, Hamza Baloul, a member of the ruling Sovereign Council, Mohammed al-Fiky Suliman, and Faisal Mohammed Saleh, a media adviser to prime minister Abdalla Hamdok.

Ayman Khalid, governor of the state containing the capital, Khartoum, was also arrested, according to the official Facebook page of his office.

The whereabouts of Hamdok were not immediately clear, amid media reports that security forces were stationed outside his home in Khartoum.

NetBlocks, a group which tracks disruptions across the internet, said on Monday it had seen a “significant disruption” to fixed-line and mobile internet connections across Sudan with multiple providers.

“Metrics corroborate user reports network disruptions appearing consistent with an internet shutdown,” the advocacy group said. “The disruption is likely to limit the free flow of information online and news coverage of incidents on the ground.”