Washington D.C., 28 October 2021 (TDI): US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mariam al-Sadig al-Mahdi on Wednesday. The officials exchanged views on the recent military takeover in Sudan, where the United States urged the restoration of democracy and an immediate release of detained civilian leaders.
Spoke to Sudanese Foreign Minister al-Mahdi to condemn the arrest of civilian leaders in Sudan and to discuss how the U.S. can best support the Sudanese people’s call for a return to civilian-led transition to democracy.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 28, 2021
Secretary Blinken condemned the coup and exhibited full support to Sudan and its civilian leaders facing detention at the hands of the military forces. While speaking with Foreign Minister Al-Mahdi, he consulted her views on how Washington could assist Sudan in bringing a civilian-led transition to democracy under the country’s Constitutional Declaration.
During the telephonic conversation, the two sides also raised mutual concerns over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Khartoum as many political leaders are under arrest and the military forces have started using violence against the civilians.
Sudan’s top General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan led the coup on Monday and dismissed the state’s joint civilian-military council. Following the coup, thousands of people took to the streets protesting against the military’s seizure of power, where several have been wounded and killed amid clashes with the security forces.
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