Foreign News
Military Seized Power in Sudan to Avoid Civil War – Burhan
Sudan’s top general defended the military’s seizure of power, saying he had ousted the government to avoid civil war, while protesters returned to the streets on Tuesday to demonstrate against the takeover after a day of deadly clashes.
Speaking at his first news conference since he announced Monday’s takeover, military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said the army had no choice but to sideline politicians who were inciting against the armed forces.
“The dangers we witnessed last week could have led the country into civil war,” he said, an apparent reference to demonstrations against the prospect of a military takeover.
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was arrested on Monday along with other members of his cabinet, had not been harmed and had been brought to Burhan’s own home.
The general said: “The prime minister was in his house.
“However, we were afraid that he’d be in danger so he has been placed with me at my home.”
Burhan had appeared on TV on Monday to announce the dissolution of the Sovereign Council, a body set up to share power between the military and civilians.
The Facebook page for the office of the prime minister, apparently still under the control of Hamdok’s loyalists, called for Hamdok’s release and that of the other civilian leaders.
Hamdok remains “the executive authority recognised by the Sudanese people and the world”, it said.
It added that there was no alternative other than protests, strikes, and civil disobedience.
Images on social media showed renewed street protests on Tuesday in the cities of Atbara, Dongola, Elobeid, and Port Sudan. People chanted “Don’t give your back to the army, the army won’t protect you.”
Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman across the Nile were partly locked down, with shops shut and plumes of smoke rising from where protesters were burning tyres.
Calls for a general strike were played over mosque loudspeakers. Streets and bridges were blocked by soldiers or protester barricades.
The military takeover brought a halt to Sudan’s transition to democracy, two years after a popular uprising toppled long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
An official at the health ministry said seven people had been killed in clashes between protesters and the security forces on Monday.
Burhan said the military’s action did not amount to a coup, as the army had been trying to rectify the path of the political transition.
“We only wanted to correct the course to a transition. We had promised the people of Sudan and the entire world.
“We will protect this transition,” said Burhan.
He added that a new government would be formed which would not contain any typical politicians.
Western countries have denounced the coup, called for the detained cabinet ministers to be freed, and said they will cut off aid if the military does not restore power-sharing with civilians.
Sudan, for decades a pariah under Bashir, has depended on Western aid to pull through an economic crisis in the two years since Bashir was toppled.
Banks and cash machines were shut on Tuesday, and mobile phone apps widely used for money transfers could not be accessed.
“We are paying the price for this crisis,” a man in his 50s looking for medicine at one of the pharmacies where stocks have been running low said angrily.
“We can’t work, we can’t find bread, there are no services, no money.”
In the western city of El Geneina, resident Adam Haroun said there was complete civil disobedience, with schools, stores, and gas stations closed. (NAN
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is to travel to France for talks with his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu on Wednesday evening, following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
The talks are expected to focus on the consequences of Trump’s victory.
In particular for the future support for Ukraine, which has been fighting for more than two and a half years against Russia, as well as for European defence policy?
Washington has been a central provider of military support to Ukraine, which Trump has long criticized.
During his election campaign, Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine in a very short time and has held Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky jointly responsible for the war.
(dpa/NAN)
Congratulations for Donald Trump poured in early on Wednesday following his victory over challenger, Democrat’s Kamala Harris in the U.S. presidential polls.
“Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine, with respect and ambition.
“For more peace and prosperity, French President“, Emmanuel Macron, wrote on social media platform X.
“Congratulations to Donald Trump on his election victory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on the platform X.
“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs,” he added.
“This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer.
I am hopeful that we will put it into action together,” Zelensky wrote.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also added his congratulations.
“For a long time, Germany and the U.S. have been working together successfully promoting prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We will continue to do so for the wellbeing of our citizens,” the chancellor wrote on X.
Earlier, Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone about the election outcome.
A German government spokesman said the two European leaders had agreed to coordinate closely with each other.
“We will work in this new context for a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe.
“In cooperation with the U.S. and defending our interests and values,’’ Macron wrote on X after the conversation.
The mood was ebullient out of Moscow, which has led a full-scale war against Ukraine for more than two and a half years, with no end in sight.
“Hallelujah, wrote Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, on her Telegram channel, noting that the election winner was the one who loved his own country.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who now sits on the Russian Security Council, said Trump has an important quality for Russia.
“As a businessman to the core, he cannot stand spending money on various minions and lackeys on idiotic allies, on stupid charity projects and on gluttonous international organisations.’’
He said it was a sad day for the scum in Kiev, in a post on Telegram.
Newly appointed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, whose alliance has a key role in the war on Ukraine, congratulated Trump on X.
“His leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong,’’ Rutte added.
The conservative broadcaster Fox News had already declared Republican candidate Trump the overall winner against Democrat Kamala Harris, but other media networks and U.S. news agency AP had not done so.
Trump declared himself the winner in a speech to supporters in Florida.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz added his congratulations.
“For a long time, Germany and the U.S. have been working together successfully promoting prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We will continue to do so for the wellbeing of our citizens,” the chancellor wrote on X.
Earlier, Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone about the election outcome.
A German government spokesman said the two European leaders had agreed to coordinate closely with each other.
“We will work in this new context for a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe.
In cooperation with the U.S. and defending our interests and values,’’ Macron wrote on X after the conversation.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she looked forward to working with the presumptive 47th president of the U.S. on a strong trans-Atlantic agenda that delivers for their people.
Von der Leyen said the European Union and the United States “are more than just allies,” bound by a “shared history, commitment to freedom and democracy, and common goals of security and opportunity for all.”
“Millions of jobs and billions in trade and investment on each side of the Atlantic depend on the dynamism and stability of our economic relationship,” she added.
Outgoing European Council President Charles Michel, meanwhile, said the EU looked forward to cooperating constructively with the US, while “defending the rules-based multilateral system.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK-US special relationship would “continue to prosper” following Donald Trump’s “historic election victory,” the PA news agency reported.
Congratulations also came from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said the strategic connections between their two countries would now become even stronger.
“Good luck with your work, president!” the far-right prime minister added.
“Congratulations, Mr President … You made it happen!” Poland’s conservative nationalist president, Andrzej Duda, posted on X.
Dutch right-wing populist politician Geert Wilders, a declared Trump supporter who won the election in the Netherlands almost a year ago, joined in the chorus.
“Congratulations America! Never stop, always keep fighting and win elections!” Wilders wrote on X before the official result was announced.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was “history’s greatest comeback.”
“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his “friend” Donald Trump had won the presidential election after a “great struggle.”
China, meanwhile, was more cautious in its response. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the election was a domestic affair that Beijing would handle as usual once the results are officially announced. (dpa/NAN)
Leaders and monarchs across the Arab world praised Donald Trump on his election victory, amid uncertainty on how his presidency will impact the conflict in the Middle East.
“I wish him every success in achieving the interests of the American people,” said Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi.
He said that in view of “critical circumstances in the world,” cooperation between the U.
S. and Egypt, which along with Israel is among the largest recipients of U.S. military aid, was particularly important.Egypt is an important mediator in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, along with Qatar and the United States.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman described the U.
S. as a “key partner” for the Gulf emirate and the region.The largest U.S. military base in the Middle East is located in Qatar.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II sent Trump his “warmest congratulations” for the election victory.
He said he looked forward to renewed cooperation “in the service of regional and global peace.” Jordan is an important U.S. ally.
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid wrote on X: “I am hopeful that the new American administration will foster much-needed stability and constructive dialogue in the region.”
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdelaziz, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also conveyed their congratulations. (dpa/NAN)
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