South Sudan calls for dialogue between Sudanese parties after coup attempt

JUBA, South Sudan

South Sudan called on Sudan’s leadership Monday to return to dialogue after the country’s military dissolved the government and enacted a state of emergency.

“We encourage them to quickly return to dialogue as the appropriate way to address their differences. We recognize that stability in Sudan has a direct bearing on our common goal of building greater stability in the region,” South Sudan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said it is keenly following the unfolding political tensions within the ruling coalition in the Republic of Sudan and President Salva Kiir, on behalf of the South Sudanese people, affirms their unwavering solidarity with Sudan.

“In building the coalition, Sudan has shown the world that Africans can and will solve their problems from within. For that, the government and people of Sudan have our utmost respect as fellow Africans. The path towards lasting peace will inevitably be bumpy with difficult choices along the way. Yet we are confident in the wisdom of Sudanese leaders. We know them all well and believe they will make the best decisions,” it said.

It said that South Sudan remains steadfast in supporting the aspirations and stance of the Sudanese people and will avail all its diplomatic channels to support the country.

On Monday, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, announced the dissolution of the transitional government and the council and declared a national state of emergency.

In a televised address, Burhan said the 2019 agreement on the transitional government with power sharing between the civilian and military leadership had turned into a struggle threatening peace and security.

He said the military needed to protect the country’s safety and security as stated in the constitutional declaration, announcing the dissolution of the power-sharing ruling council and the government.

He also announced the removal of state governors, saying elections would be held in July 2023.

The military also had placed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok under house arrest before reportedly moving him to an unknown location.

Other senior government officials have also been reportedly detained.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia on Monday called on all parties in Sudan "for calm and de-escalation and to exert every effort towards a peaceful end to this crisis."

"In this regard, the government of Ethiopia fully supports the completion of Sudan’s transition to democracy and the respect for the Constitutional Document of the Transitional Period," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, recalling Ethiopia's "significant role" in mediating the formation of the transitional government after the ouster three years ago of Omar al-Bashir from his decades-long rule.

*Addis Getachew in Addis Ababa contributed to this report