US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the release of the Sudanese Prime Minister, reiterating his call on military forces to free all civilian leaders in detention and to ensure their safety, the State Department said.

During his talks with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, Blinken expressed “his deep concern about the ongoing military takeover and repeated the imperative for military forces to use restraint and avoid violence in responding to demonstrators”. 

Furthermore, the Secretary emphasized, “US support for the civilian-led transition to democracy and for a return to the principles of Sudan’s transitional framework, as laid out in the 2019 Constitutional Declaration and the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement”. 

Blinken has addressed the mounting chorus of international voices condemning the military coup and backing the “calls by the Sudanese people for civilian leadership, democracy, and peace”.

Simultaneously, the US secretary spoke with the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Both denounced the October 25 military takeover in Sudan and its repercussions.

On his account, Blinken reiterated “the strong US support to the aspirations of the Sudanese people for democracy and underscored the need for the immediate restoration of Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government."

The two sides also appraised the importance that “all parties adhere to the framework laid out in the Constitutional Declaration and Juba Peace Agreement and that failure to do so puts international support for Sudan at risk.”

The Secretary and Foreign Minister also touched on other key bilateral issues, mainly human rights.

What do you need to know?

Sudan's dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has been returned to his home a day after a military coup.

"The prime minister has been accompanied back to his own home in Kafouri district and security measures have been put in place around the perimeter of his home," the source, who requested anonymity, told AFP.

On Monday, the leader of the Sudanese armed forces General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declared a state of emergency, announced the dissolution of the Sovereign Council and the government, and called for elections in July 2023.

Unidentified military forces arrested Hamdok and several ministers and members of the Sovereign Council.

He mentioned that the army will continue the "democratic transition until power is handed over to an elected civilian government," noting that there's a need for the army to protect the security and safety of the country as stipulated in the constitution.