Sudan’s military on Wednesday announced that it had arrested the army chief and several senior officers in connection with a foiled coup attempt that took place last month, state news agency SUNA said, reported Yahoo News.
According to a report coming from the Suna news agency, citing the army’s statement, those behind the coup attempt wanted to undo the April revolt, which toppled Sudan’s longtime ruler Omar Bashir and bring his party back to power.
“At the top of the participants is General Hashim Abdel Mottalib, the head of joint chiefs of staff, and a number of officers from the National Intelligence and Security Service,” the military said in a statement released on Wednesday.
Hashim was appointed chief-of-staff just days after al-Bashir’s ouster following months of street protests against the president’s 30-year rule.
The statement added that several leaders from Islamic movements and the National Congress Party of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir were also arrested. It said the plot aimed to sabotage the power-sharing deal between the military council and the protest movement.
The military said those detained over the attempted coup were being questioned and would face trial. They are accused of trying to help return the former National Congress Party’s regime to power.
Earlier this month, the military had announced it had foiled a coup attempt without specifying when it took place. At that time it was announced that 12 officers, including five who were retired, had been arrested and that security forces were looking for the mastermind.
The arrest follows the signing of a power-sharing deal between the ruling military council and the protest leaders under pressure from the African Union. Although the accord was signed on July 17, the two sides are still on track to finalize some key pending issues, including accountability for demonstrators killed during months of protests.
