UN head calls on Sudan generals to give up power

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called on Sudan’s generals to reverse their coup and to return to “legitimate constitutional arrangements.”

Guterres’ call came one day after hundreds of thousands of Sudanese people demonstrated against the military taking power in the country, chanting “Military rule can’t be praised.” At least three people were reportedly killed and nearly 40 others injured, though the police have claimed that they did not fire any shots at the protesters.

On Sunday, Guterres tweeted, “We witnessed in #Sudan on Saturday the courage of so many people who peacefully protested military rule. The military should take heed. Time to go back to the legitimate constitutional arrangements. Reports of violence are alarming & perpetrators must be brought to justice.”

We witnessed in #Sudan on Saturday the courage of so many people who peacefully protested military rule. The military should take heed. Time to go back to the legitimate constitutional arrangements. Reports of violence are alarming & perpetrators must be brought to justice.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 30, 2021

The United Nations Security Council has also called for Sudan’s civilian government to be restored, urging “all stakeholders to engage in dialogue without pre-conditions.”

Last week, the Sudanese military overtook the civilian government and placed Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok under house arrest. The head of Sudan’s military, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has claimed that was done for Hamdok’s own safety. 

President Biden also called for the civilian government to be restored last week, describing the military coup as a “grave setback” to the progress made in establishing a democratically-elected civilian government.

In 2019, after the ouster of autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir, a civilian-military government was established with the goal of eventually having a civilian-led government.

“The Sudanese people must be allowed to protest peacefully and the civilian-led transitional government must be restored,” Biden said. “The events of recent days are a grave setback, but the United States will continue to stand with the people of Sudan and their non-violent struggle to advance the goals of Sudan’s revolution.”