epa09544871 (FILE) - Leader of Sudan's transitional council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan looks on after being sworn in as the Head of the newly formed transitional Council at the presidential palace in Khartoum, Sudan, 21 August 2019 (reissued 25 October 2021). Prime Minister of Sudan Abdalla Hamdok was placed under house arrest by a military unit after he refused to support an ongoing coup, according to Sudan's information ministry on 25 October. The ministry also reported several cabinet ministers and civilian members of the Transitional Sovereignty Council were also arrested. This is the second reported military coup after the government on 21 September said it foiled a coup that was attempted by army officers linked to the regime of ousted president Omar Bashir. EPA-EFE/STRINGERBurhan is tightening his grip after taking power in a coup in October, reversing appointments made by civilian leadership during a two-year power-sharing period.
In a statement, the head of the board of governors for the University of Khartoum, Sudan's most prominent university, described Burhan's decisions as illegal and encroaching on powers held by the prime minister. Professors at Sudan University, one of the largest, said they would begin an open-ended strike in protest.
Military leaders have yet to appoint a prime minister since the resignation of Abdalla Hamdok in January following a brief return to office.
Universities have been a hotbed for student protests, and university presidents had been involved in mediation attempts between the military and civilian groups.
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