Sudan Military: Officers Arrested Over Coup Attempt

Sudan’s military said Wednesday it managed to prevent a coup attempt and arrested a number of senior officers who were plotting to restore ousted President Omar al-Bashir to power.

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“The failed attempt aims to abort your glorious revolution and to return the former National Congress regime to power, and to disrupt the path before the expected political solution that aims to establish a civilian state,” said members of the military in a statement from July 24.

It revealed the coup attempt involved General Hashim Abdel Mottalib Ahmed, head of the joint chiefs of staff, a number of high-ranking officers from the armed forces, the National Intelligence and Security Service, and leaders of the National Congress Party and the Islamic Movement party Bashir also headed.

Among the arrested was General Bakri Hassan Saleh, who was Bashir’s vice president and prime minister before the former president was removed from the office, according to sources close to the temporary military council in place since Bashir's April ousting. Saleh was also a leading figure in the 1989 coup that brought Bashir to power and was one of his closest confidants throughout his 30-year rule.

Another important official detained was Ali Karty, an influential former foreign minister believed to currently lead the Islamic Movement, sources with knowledge of the matter said. He became Sudan’s central Islamist figure after Bashir was forced out.

Al-Zubair Ahmed Hassan, a former finance minister who was secretary general of the Islamic Movement until Bashir was deposed, was also detained, the sources said.

“They have been detained and investigations with them are occurring so that they can be tried,” the military said.

The ruling military council took over after ousting al-Bashir in April as a result of weeks of massive protests.

The military council has been working with protesters and opposition organizations to achieve a power-sharing deal of a three-year transition toward elections. The process has repeatedly been hampered by military repression, but both sides are due to resume talks on Saturday, according to state news agency SUNA.