Sudanese coup bid thwarted

KHARTOUM: Sudan’s ruling military council has foiled a coup attempt, a top general announced on Thursday, saying that 12 officers and four soldiers had been arrested.

The announcement came as the ruling military and civilian protesters agreed last week to end a political impasse after the army in April ousted longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir on the back of a popular uprising.

“Officers and soldiers from the army and National Intelligence and Security Service, some of them retired, were trying to carry out a coup,” General Jamal Omar of the ruling military council said.

“The regular forces were able to foil the attempt.

“This is an attempt to block the agreement which has been reached – by the Transitional Military Council and the Alliance for Freedom and Change – that aims to open the road for Sudanese people to achieve their demands.”

The announcement late on Thursday came as legal advisers of the ruling military council and protest leaders were going through the details of the agreement at a luxury hotel in Khartoum. The landmark agreement that aims to form a new joint transitional civilian-military ruling body was reached last week after mediation by African Union and Ethiopian envoys.

The forming of the new governing body is the first step towards installing an overall transitional civilian administration in Sudan as demanded by demonstrators. Sudan has been rocked by a political crisis since protests first erupted against Mr Bashir’s rule in December.