Sudan’s ousted prime minister released but under guard

Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan released Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and his wife to their home on Tuesday, but the deposed leader remains under heavy military security. Burhan said he had to detain the prime minister for his own safety as anti-military protests turned deadly in Khartoum. Doctors on the ground have reported six protest-related deaths and more than 80 injured so far. The military is holding several senior officials of the dissolved government in undisclosed locations. Burhan said some tried to incite rebellion within military ranks and might face charges. He promised to free innocent parties and gradually restore internet and communication access. The Civil Aviation Authority suspended all flights to and from Khartoum until Oct. 30. Sudan security forces arrested three pro-democracy activists on Tuesday night.

What does this mean for Sudan? Burhan was supposed to hand over leadership of the nation’s Sovereign Council to complete the transition to a civilian-led democracy in less than a month. Now he says the military will run the country until elections in 2023, a move the international community has widely condemned. In an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday, the secretary-general asked world powers to combat an “epidemic of coups d'état.” The UN continues to hold closed-door meetings with Sudan’s military. The United States froze $700 million in emergency assistance while violence against civilians persists. On Wednesday, doctors unions, state oil workers, and bankers joined national pro-democracy protests. Several neighborhood groups in Khartoum said they are planning a “march of millions” protest on Saturday.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s reporting on a coup in Myanmar earlier this year.