2021 Sudanese coup d'état — successful coup against the Sovereignty Council of Sudan
The October 2021 coup dissolved Sudan's transitional civilian government, derailing a fragile democratic transition begun after Omar al-Bashir's 2019 ouster.
Key Facts
- Date of coup
- 25 October 2021
- Coup leader
- General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
- Civilians killed (first day)
- at least 10 people
- Civilians injured (first day)
- over 140 people
- AU suspension of Sudan
- 26 October 2021
- Hamdok resignation date
- 2 January 2022
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Sudan had been under a fragile power-sharing arrangement between military and civilian factions following the 2019 removal of Omar al-Bashir. Tensions between the military and civilian components of the Sovereignty Council escalated throughout 2021, with General al-Burhan and the armed forces seeking to reassert dominance over the transitional government before scheduled handover of council leadership to civilians.
On 25 October 2021, the Sudanese military under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolved the Sovereignty Council and the Hamdok Cabinet, declared a state of emergency, and placed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok under house arrest. Senior government ministers, activists, journalists, and political figures were detained in secret locations. Mass protests erupted immediately, with security forces killing at least 10 civilians on the first day.
The African Union suspended Sudan on 26 October, and Western governments refused to recognize the military takeover. Facing sustained protests and international pressure, al-Burhan signed a 14-point deal reinstating Hamdok as prime minister on 21 November 2021, but civilian groups rejected continued military power-sharing. Hamdok resigned on 2 January 2022 amid ongoing unrest, leaving military figures in effective control of the transitional process.