KHARTOUM — Sudan's ruling council head Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan has said he is keeping toppled Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok at his own house.

He told a news conference in Khartoum on Tuesday that Hamdok was safe, in good health and kept away “for his own safety”. He added that the politician would be released “today or tomorrow”.

“The prime minister was in his house. However, we were afraid that he’d be in danger so he has been placed with me at my home,” the general said, in his second public appearance since seizing power.

Al-Burhan said the military was forced to step in to resolve a growing political crisis that could have led to civil war.

The move came less than a month before Al-Burhan was supposed to hand the leadership of the Sovereign Council that runs the country to a civilian.

“The whole country was deadlocked due to political rivalries,” he told the televised news conference.

“The experience during the past two years has proven that the participation of political forces in the transitional period is flawed and stirs up strife.” – Agencies