US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that Sudan’s security forces must respect human rights and that any violence against peaceful demonstrators is “unacceptable”.
He said in a Twitter post that the United States continues to stand with “Sudan’s people in their nonviolent struggle for democracy”.
The United States continues to stand with Sudan’s people in their nonviolent struggle for democracy.
Sudan’s security forces must respect human rights; any violence against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. https://t.co/ArEE3G3OYE
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 30, 2021
Meanwhile, opponents of a military coup in Sudan have called for nationwide protests on Saturday to demand the restoration of a civilian-led government to put the country back on a path to democracy after decades of authoritarian rule.
Washington was relieved to see that ousted Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok had been allowed to return home, an official said, adding that it was not good enough because Hamdok was still under house arrest and unable to resume his work.
Sudanese General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolved Hamdok’s Cabinet, and soldiers rounded up government ministers on Monday, prompting Western countries to cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in desperately needed aid to the North African country.
At least 11 protesters have been killed in clashes with security forces this week, and residents say they fear a full-blown crackdown.
