A coup in Sudan

There are reports coming out of Sudan, that there might be a coup attempt taking place right now. Unidentified heavily armed military forces have surrounded the house of Abdallah Hamdok, Sudan’s current Prime Minister. He has been detained, along with several other members of Sudan’s transitional government.

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Pro-democracy groups have urged mass demonstrations on the streets. There have been reports of angry crowds starting bonfires on the streets of Khartoum.

In Khartoum, the internet is down, and the airport has been shut down.

Sudan was in the midst of transitioning to a democratic government. According to pro-democracy groups, this is an organized attempt by the military to retake power.

Although sudden and unfortunate, this is not unexpected. Sudan hasn’t been successful in implementing a workable political system since it got its independence in 1956, and it has suffered a large number of coups.