UN Security Council adopts declaration on Sudan coup

The United Nations Security Council issued a unanimous declaration calling for the return to civilian rule in Sudan on Thursday, three days after a military coup against Sudan’s transitional government.

In the statement, the UN’s most powerful body expressed solidarity with the Sudanese people. The Security Council called for the return to a civilian-led transitional government and expressed “serious concern” about the situation in Sudan. The text also demanded the release of the civilian leaders detained during the coup and offered support to Sudan’s democratic transition process.

The declaration however fell short of using the term “coup” and did not openly condemn the military takeover of power.

Penned by the United Kingdom, the statement was adopted by the fifteen members of the council following difficult talks. Major edits were made to the text at the insistence of Russia, who objected against “condemning” the military takeover as originally proposed in the British draft. At China’s request, the draft was amended to mention that Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok had been returned to his residence on Tuesday.

This was the first statement issued by the Security Council since the Sudanese military took power in the capital on Monday. The coup follows weeks of intense political tensions between the civilian and military components of the transitional government formed in August 2019 to head the country, following a popular revolution against the previous president, Omar al-Bashir.

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the military head of the transitional government, dissolved the civilian government under on Monday and declared a state of emergency. Hamdok was temporarily detained before being returned to his residence on Tuesday, although his freedom of movement remains restricted.

On Monday, the European Union issued a statement condemning the detention of Hamdok and calling for the immediate release of all members of the civilian government.