Washington Backs Suspension of Sudan from African Union
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomes the decision of the African Union Peace and Security Council to suspend Sudan.
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The African Union calls for the immediate release of ministers and civilians detained in Sudan
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Sudanese Secretary of State Maryam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi to discuss how the US might help the Sudanese people in their request for a civilian-led transition to democracy.
Blinken reiterated the United States' disapproval of the military coup and called for the quick release of the arrested civilian leaders.
The top US diplomat also met with the African Union Commission's Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, who welcomed the African Union's Peace and Security Council's decision to suspend Sudan's membership and emphasized the significance of the Union's leadership role in promoting democracy and security in Africa.
The two parties agreed that Sudan must return to "civilian-led democracy as laid out in the 2019 Constitutional Declaration."
Earlier, 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”.
Blinken 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.”
The African Union Suspends Sudan's participation in all activities
The African Union announced on Wednesday that Sudan would be suspended from participating in all activities until the restoration of the civilian rule, citing it "strongly condemns the seizure of power."
On Monday, four Sudanese cabinet ministers and one civilian representative of the Sovereign Council were arrested.
A picture that circulated on social media allegedly depicted the arrest of Sudan Minister of Industry and Trade, Ibrahim al-Sheikh. The country’s information minister, as well as Hamdok’s media adviser, were also among those arrested.
The Head of the Sovereign Council in Sudan, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, dismissed 6 ambassadors from their posts after expressing their support for Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
