UN Chief Says Sudan PM Detained In Coup Must Be Released 'immediately'

United Nations, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Oct, 2021 ) :UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Tuesday for the immediate release of Sudan's prime minister, who was detained in a military coup.

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok "must be released immediately," Guterres told a press conference before the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on the putsch in Sudan.

On Monday soldiers detained Hamdok, his ministers and civilian members of Sudan's ruling council, who have been heading a transition to full civilian rule following the 2019 overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

Guterres said "geopolitical divides" were preventing the Security Council from taking strong measures as countries around the world grapple with the pandemic and social and economic problems.

"These factors are creating an environment in which some military leaders feel that they have total impunity, they can do whatever they want because nothing will happen to them," Guterres said.

"My appeal is for especially the big powers to come together for the unity of the Security Council in order to make sure that there is effective deterrence in relation with this epidemic of coups d'etat" in Africa and Asia, he said.

"We have seen that effective deterrence today is not in place.

We have seen it in Myanmar and we have also seen it in several African locations," Guterres said, alluding to Guinea and Mali.

The Security Council met behind closed doors at 2000 GMT after Western powers, supported by their African counterparts, demanded the meeting.

Diplomats said members expressed concern about the volatile situation and indicated that negotiations about issuing a joint declaration were continuing.

A text could be adopted Tuesday evening or Wednesday, said one diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Unlike a first draft, it would no longer refer to denouncing the coup "in the strongest terms" but retains a condemnation of the putsch, said another diplomat.

It remains to be seen whether Russia and China -- permanent members with veto power -- will support the phrasing.

Before the meeting, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, said the council "should appeal to stop the violence from all sides.""That's the most important thing. Violence is unacceptable from all sides. Let's work on some document and then we'll see what we agree on. We are all preoccupied with what's happening in Sudan," he added.