Sudanese ministers and civilian members of the ruling sovereign council have been arrested by the military, the information ministry has said, amid reports of a coup unfolding in the capital Khartoum. The Sudanese Professionals' Association, Sudan's main pro-democratic political group, said there were internet and phone signal outages across the country. The group said at least five senior government officials had been detained, and called on people to take to the street to counter an apparent coup. The arrests comes after weeks of rising tensions between Sudan's civilian and military leaders. A failed coup attempt in September fractured the country along old lines, pitting more conservative Islamists who want a military government against those who toppled autocratic former ruler Omar al-Bashir in mass protests. In recent days, both camps have taken to the street in demonstrations. A possible takeover by the military would be a major setback for Sudan, which has grappled with a transition to democracy since long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir was toppled by mass protests. The arrests of the five government figures were confirmed by two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The officials said the detained government members include Industry Minister Ibrahim al-Sheikh, Information Minister Hamza Baloul, and Mohammed Al-Fiky Suliman, member of the country's ruling transitional body, known as The Sovereign Council, and Faisal Mohammed Saleh, a media adviser to Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. The whereabouts of Hamdok were not immediately clear, amid media reports that security forces were stationed outside his home in Khartoum. Photos circulating online showed men in uniform standing in the dark, allegedly near his home. Ayman Khalid, governor of the state containing the capital, Khartoum, was also arrested, according to the official Facebook page of his office. The arrests followed meetings the U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman had with Sudanese military and civilian leaders Saturday and Sunday in efforts to resolve the dispute. Sudan's state news website highlighted the meetings with military officials. NetBlocks, a group which tracks disruptions across the internet, said it had seen a "significant disruption" to both fixed-line and mobile internet connections across Sudan with multiple providers early Monday. "Metrics corroborate user reports network disruptions appearing consistent with an internet shutdown," the advocacy group said. "The disruption is likely to limit the free flow of information online and news coverage of incidents on the ground." — Agencies
