Sudan PM Hamdok, other Ministers under military custody after coup

Khartoum: Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is reportedly under the custody of the country's military forces at his official residence after being arrested along with Cabinet ministers and other officials in an apparent coup.

Reports quoting Al-Hadath TV, a Dubai based broadcaster, said that Industry Minister Ibrahim al-Sheikh, Information Minister Hamza Baloul, and media adviser to the prime minister, Faisal Mohammed Saleh were among those arrested by the military.

Men in military uniform cut off the main roads leading to the capital, and state television was broadcasting patriotic songs.

The country's Khartoum airport was shut and international flights were suspended on Monday after the alleged coup. There was no announcement from the Sudanese government on the status of the airport.

Sudan has been on edge since a failed coup plot last month unleashed bitter recriminations between military and civilian groups meant to be sharing power following the toppling of the country's long time leader Omar al-Bashir.

Al-Bashir was toppled after months of street protests in 2019, and a political transition agreed after his removal was meant to lead to elections by the end of 2023.

Reacting to the developments, the Sudanese Professionals' Association, Sudan's main pro-democratic political group, called on people to take to the streets to counter an apparent military coup.

The association also said there were Internet and phone signal outages in the country.

One of those arrested was Ali Al-Rayh Al-Sanhouri, secretary-general of the Sudanese Baath Party, Al-Sharq reported, quoting unnamed sources.