Blinken asks Sudanese counterpart what US can do to back civilian govt

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a telephone call with his Sudanese counterpart asked what action the United States can take to support the transition to a civilian-led government following the military takeover by Sudanese armed forces, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a press release.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi to solicit her views about what steps the United States can take to support the Sudanese people in their call for a civilian-led transition to democracy in accordance with the Sudanese Constitutional Declaration," Price said in the release on Wednesday.

Blinken also had a telephone call on Wednesday with African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat to discuss the AU's decision to suspend Sudan.

Blinken and the AU chief agreed that Sudan must return to a civilian-led government in accordance with the 2019 Constitutional Declaration.

The Sudanese military detained Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who has now been released, and several other cabinet ministers on Monday, prompting hundreds of people to take to the streets of Khartoum to protest the military takeover.

The head of Sudan's Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, then declared a state of emergency and dissolved the council and government.

The coup came as the military was scheduled to hand leadership of the transitional council over to civilians.