Civil Rights Defenders condemns the military takeover in Sudan

Due to the development in Sudan Civil Rights Defenders condemns the military takeover and urge the Military Council to reconstitute the civilian government.

25 October 2021 

The Political Unrest in Sudan

Civil Rights Defenders (CRD) condemns the military takeover in Sudan. The coup d’etat is a direct attack on the aspiration of millions of Sudanese who protested, risking their lives to bring the 2019 change that ushered a new chapter of reform in the country. The risk of returning to a repressive military regime in Sudan is now real. This development is another setback to the regional stability and hope of democratic transition in the Horn of Africa. 

The Military Council dissolved the civilian-led Sovereign Council, in which the civilian leaders and the military had shared power to ensure a smooth transitional process of the 2019 reform initiative. Civilian leaders, including Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other senior officials, are detained or in hiding since Monday, 25 October 2021.  

The arbitrary arrests and detentions, the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force against protesters, and the disruption of the internet and communications all hinder the rights of the Sudanese people to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. The military leaders should adhere to Sudan´s human rights obligations and refrain from further reversing the progress made over the last two years. 

• We urge the Military Council to reconstitute the civilian government in line with the Constitutional Declaration and the arrangement brought forth by the Juba Peace Agreement.
• We call on regional and international actors to appreciate the fragility of the situation and mount pressure on the military to release the detained civilian leaders and reinstate them. 
• We call on the Africa Union to commit themselves on suspension of Sudan membership until the civil government is reinstated.