U.S. officials call on Sudanese coup leaders to restore civilian government

October 25, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – U.S. officials and lawmakers called on the coup leaders in Sudan to hand over power to a civilian-led transitional government and vowed to support the Sudanese to achieve democratic change.

Samantha Power USAID Administrator, Representatives Gregory Meeks , and Michael McCaul, Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senators Bob Menendez and Jim Risch, Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued separate statements on the first anniversary of the military coup of October 25, 2021.

Power voiced her solidarity with the Sudanese people and hailed the draft transitional constitution proposed by the Sudanese Bar Association as it aims to foster the restoration of a civilian government.

“I reiterate the call for the military to cede power back to civilian authorities,” she said. She further pledged to keep supporting the Sudanese people and the would-be-formed civilian government.

Immediately after the coup, the United States suspended financial and economic assistance to Sudan and encouraged the international financial institutions to pause support to the military-led government.

The U.S. administration, however, kept talking with the coup leaders about the restoration of a credible civilian government and put aside calls by lawmakers to sanction the Sudanese military.

In a bipartisan statement, the four lawmakers reiterated their support for the tireless efforts of the Sudanese for democratic rule.

We “call on the military junta to relinquish power to a civilian-led transition,” they stressed.

The legislators urged the stakeholders to ensure that lawyers’ crafted constitution is accepted by a large portion of the civil society in Sudan.

In addition, they underscored the need to hold accountable perpetrators of human rights violations and crimes against peaceful protesters.

(ST)