Sudan envoy to US, others fired after condemning coup

Sudan’s envoys to the United States and several other countries were fired on Wednesday after condemning the military’s takeover of the government, a military official told The Associated Press.   

Sudan Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan fired envoys to the U.S., European Union, France, Qatar, China and the United Nations, the official told the AP. 

Burhan announced Monday that the military dissolved the transitional civilian-military government and had arrested several senior governmental officials, including Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

Burhan said Tuesday that Hamdok was detained in Burhan’s home for his safety as pro-democracy protests erupted after the military takeover. Hamdok and his wife were released on Tuesday, following intense backlash from the international community.  

The envoys who were fired pledged their support for Hamdok, who is now deposed, the AP noted.

After Burhan announced the takeover, Nureldin Satti, who was Sudan’s ambassador to the U.S., told Voice of America (VOA) on Monday that he planned on staying in his role to defend against the coup.

When asked what he would do if Burhan decided to fire him, Satti said he would “cross that bridge when I come to it.”

“In order for him to appoint a new diplomatic mission, it will be an issue,” Satti told VOA. “It’s not going to be easy for this regime … to appoint a new ambassador to the United States” 

Burhan continues to face international backlash in response to Monday’s military takeover.

The World Bank announced on Wednesday that it was halting its operations in Sudan, saying it hoped that “peace and the integrity of the transition process” would be restored.

The Friends of Sudan group, which includes the U.S., EU and the United Nations, also issued a statement “strongly condemn the ongoing military takeover in Sudan” and calling for the immediate release of officials who are still detained. 

“Any attempts by the military to unilaterally modify these provisions and upend the critical civilian-military partnership are unacceptable,” the group said.