South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir spoke on Monday to Sudanese Gen Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan hours after the latter arrested the Sudanese prime minister and some ministers and advisers, sparking street protests.
According to a top South Sudanese presidential source, Kiir was one of the key regional leaders consulted by the military leaders in the Sudanese capital Khartoum hours prior to the dissolution of the Sovereign Council and the cabinet head by Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.
The call between the two leaders, according to the source, occurred on Monday morning at around 10:00 am local time.
The leaders agreed to coordinate the efforts and to support each other in pursuit of peace and stability between the two countries and the region.
Later, in a broadcast statement at midday, al-Burhan declared the state of emergency, dissolved the transitional institutions and reestablished the transitional military council.
“His excellency the President of the Republic spoke to the chairman of the Military Council this morning. The two leaders exchanged views on the current political situation in Sudan. His excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit assured the Sudanese people and the Sudanese leadership of the support of South Sudanese people and government”, a source who preferred to remain anonymous told the Sudan Tribune when reached to comment on the development unfolding in Khartoum.
Al-Burhan, according to the source”, assured President Kiir of his commitment to implement the peace agreement.
The military takeover in Sudan was widely discussed on social media by South Sudanese. Some described the development as a return to dark days in Sudanese history and called on the South Sudanese government to not recognize the military junta in Khartoum. Others doubted whether the government of President Salva Kiir would take a neutral stance, describing it as “birds of the same feathers” to the one in Khartoum.
“It is quite unfortunate that developments in Khartoum are nothing but a return to the dark days of history in Sudan. The military takeover has killed hopes of democracy and reforms. Such developments have killed all the inspirations”, said one South Sudanese commentator.
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Report by: Sudan Tribune
