In phone call, Blinken tells General Burhan of Sudan to return Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to power

U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke on Thursday with Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan whose men arrested and detained Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on October 25, dissolved the civilian government and suspended several articles of the constitution.

Blinken told General Burhan to return Hamdok to power and release all political prisoners detained since October 25.

“The Secretary shared his admiration for the Sudanese people who have repeatedly voiced their desire for democracy and called for an immediate restoration of the civilian-led government,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

Price added that Blinken also “urged General Burhan to immediately release all political figures detained since October 25 and return to a dialogue that returns Prime Minister Hamdok to office and restores civilian-led governance in Sudan.”

“The Secretary welcomed the General’s stated commitment to the Juba Peace Agreement and Constitutional Declaration,” Price said. “The Secretary expressed his hope that the Sudanese military will take the action necessary to allow the resumption of a U.S.-Sudan partnership that encompasses political, diplomatic, security, and economic cooperation.”

Blinken also spoke with Prime Minister Hamdok on Thursday. 

“The Secretary underscored the strong support of the United States for the Sudanese people who seek democracy and called for an immediate restoration of the civilian-led transition to democracy,” said Ned Price. “The Secretary reiterated the call for the immediate release of all those detained since October 25 and an end to the state of emergency.  The Secretary underscored that a return to Sudan’s democratic transition will permit the resumption of a strong partnership that encompasses political, diplomatic, security, and economic cooperation between our two countries.”

Simon Ateba

Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa

Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa. Simon covers President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the U.S. government, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington D.C. and New York City.