Traffic moves on a street in Sudan's capital Khartoum on Sept 21, 2021. Sudanese authorities reported a coup attempt on Tuesday by a group of soldiers but said the attempt failed and that the military remains in control. (MARWAN ALI / AP)
KHARTOUM / UNITED NATIONS – Sudan's Security and Defense Council on Tuesday announced the arrest of Major General Abdul-Baqi Hassan Osman, the leader of the foiled coup attempt.
The council added that 22 other military officers of different ranks and a number of non-commissioned officers and soldiers were also arrested.
Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the foiled coup attempt was orchestrated by elements inside and outside the army
The council held an emergency meeting, chaired by Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, to discuss the security situation in Sudan following the thwarted coup attempt.
"The initial investigations indicated that the coup attempt aimed to seize power and undermine the current transitional period," Sudan's Defense Minister Yassin Ibrahim Yassin said in a statement.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Sudanese authorities announced foiling of a coup attempt carried out by a group of armed forces officers from the remnants of the former regime.
Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the foiled coup attempt was orchestrated by elements inside and outside the army.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned the attempted coup, said his spokesman.
"Any effort to undermine Sudan's political transition will jeopardize the hard-earned progress made on the political and economic fronts. The secretary-general calls on all parties to remain committed to the transition and the realization of the aspirations of the Sudanese people for an inclusive, peaceful, stable, and democratic future," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
The United Nations stands by the government and people of Sudan in this endeavor, he added.
