US envoy urges Sudan general to restore civilian-led govt

By SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — A senior U.S. diplomat has urged Sudan’s top general to restore the country’s civilian-led government and free officials and politicians detained in connection with last week’s coup. The call by U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffery Feltman on Tuesday comes as mediation efforts are ongoing to try to resolve Sudan’s civilian-military dispute. The coup threatens the country’s fragile democratic transition, more than two years after a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist government. The military takeover on Oct. 25 came soon after Feltman left Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, following intensive talks with civilian and military leaders.