SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Bloomberg – Can an Arab Ally of the U.S. Reverse the Coup in Sudan?

29/10/2021: Bloomberg – Can an Arab Ally of the U.S. Reverse the Coup in Sudan?, by Eli Lake

Columnist Eli Lake reveals that US and Arab diplomats told him that Brett McGurk, the Middle East and North Africa coordinator at the US’ National Security Council, worked closely with Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE national security advisor, to negotiate with the Sudanese Army chief Abdulfattah al-Burhan the return to power of ousted prime minister Abdallah Hamdok.

Sudan’s ambassador the US, Nureldin Satti, said he was aware of similar efforts from Egypt.

Atlantic Council’s Cameron Hudson said “the impetus behind the coup to seize power” was al-Burhan losing leadership of the ruling Sovereign Council to a civilian potentially opening the door to tribunals and “divesting the military of its considerable financial holdings inside the country”.

Satti said some civilian government leaders failed to address military concerns, telling Lake: “If you have someone holding a gun, you cannot take it out of their hand unless you give him an alternative”.