Coup attempt ‘thwarted’ says Sudan military, 40 officers arrested

Sudanese state TV announced on Tuesday that there had been a "failed" coup in the country, adding that there had been an attempt to take control of the public media building in Omdurman, across the river Nile from the capital Khartoum.

The country's sovereignty council said that the situation was under control and that law enforcement would begin questioning suspects immediately. Soon thereafter, Sudan's military confirmed the earlier reports.

A senior military source told French news agency AFP that a group of officers "were involved in the attempt but were immediately suspended."

Army vehicles could be seen partrolling the streets of Khartoum on Tuesday morning.

What is the political situation in Sudan?

Sudan saw a successful coup just two years ago, when longtime strongman Omar al-Bashir was ousted. Since then, Sudan has been ruled by a transitional government council that contains both civilian and military members.

However, the council has been unable to reconcile the deep political divisions that have existed since the Bashir era.

Moreover, they have overseen harsh economic reforms in order to qualify for International Monetary Fund loans that have met with resistance from the Sudanese people.