Sudan’s ruling military council (TMC) foiled an attempted military coup and at least 16 officers were arrested, state-run TV reported late on Thursday.
The development comes as the TMC and protest movement leaders were in discussions on a power-sharing deal.
“Officers and soldiers from the army and National Intelligence and Security Service, some of them retired, were trying to carry out a coup,” General Jamal Omar of the TMC said in a statement broadcast live on state television.
“The regular forces were able to foil the attempt,” he said, but did not say when the attempt was made. Omar said security forces were pursuing additional officers who took part in plotting an attempted coup.
No more details were immediately available.
The military and a pro-democracy coalition agreed last week on a joint sovereign council that will rule for three years while elections are organised.
Both sides say a diplomatic push by allies was key to ending a standoff that raised fears of civil war.
Sudan has been in political deadlock since the overthrow of autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April.
The transition has been a bloody one as pro-democracy supporters camped outside the military headquarters for weeks demanding a civilian-led interim administration were brutally dispersed.
Opposition medics say more than 100 people were killed when the military’s feared Rapid Support Forces violently cleared the protest sit-in. Officials put the death toll at 62.
Under the reported deal, five seats would go to the military and five to civilians, with an additional seat given to a civilian agreed upon by both sides.
It was expected the final details of the power-sharing agreement would be announced on Thursday, but it’s unclear whether that will now happen. – Al Jazeera.
