Sudan's prime minister has been arrested in what civilian leaders have described as a military coup in the African nation. 

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was one of several 'political and government'

Sudan's prime minister has been arrested in what civilian leaders have described as a military coup in the African nation. 

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was one of several 'political and government' leaders arrested by armed men who barged into homes early Monday, the country's information ministry said.

Hamdok was placed under house arrest and ordered to issue a 'pro-coup statement' then taken to an 'unknown location' when he refused, the ministry added.

The 65-year-old former UN diplomat, who survived a failed coup just last month and an assassination attempt in 2020, was leading Sudan's transition from decades of autocratic and military rule towards democracy following a revolution in 2019. 

Trade unions which were central to that revolution have denounced what they called a fresh coup attempt on Monday and urged people on to the streets for protests. 

Protests have erupted on the streets of Sudan's capital Khartoum after civilian leaders overseeing the country's transition to democracy were arrested by the military

Demonstrators demand the release of civilian leaders seized by Sudan's military in what trade unions described as an overnight 'coup'

Sudan is in the midst of a transition from decades of autocratic and military rule to democracy, which leaders have been warning was under threat (pictured, protests today)

A picture taken in the early hours of Monday purports to show the arrest of civilian ministers by unidentified gunmen, in what has been called a military coup

Crowds were subsequently pictured in the capital Khartoum burning tyres and blocking roads, while military forces moved to occupy bridges. 

Internet services have gone down or been disrupted across Sudan, monitors said, while TV and radio broadcasts were interrupted by renditions of patriotic songs. 

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, a military general who was supposed to be handing over power to Hamdok next month, is due to make a statement shortly, according to the New York Times.

Sudan's 2019 revolution overthrew decades of rule by Omar al-Bashir, a former military general, and then a military council that stepped in to replace him.

Since April 2019, the country has been led by a transitional council run by both military and civilian leaders tasked with rewriting the constitution and then holding elections, due for November 2022.

Tensions between civilian and military leaders have been evident since the start of the transition, but have reached a head in recent months as deadlines for the handover of key powers loomed. 

Just last month, the government said it had thwarted a coup attempt by soldiers loyal to al-Bashir which had targeted Hamdok. 

Hamdok subsequently gave a speech calling the coup attempt 'the worst and most dangerous crisis that not only threatens the [democratic] transition, but threatens our whole country.' 

His arrest comes just two days after a Sudan faction calling for a transfer of power to civilian rule warned of a 'creeping coup' during a press conference that an unidentified mob attack tried to stop.

Following news of Monday's coup, US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman said: 'The US is deeply alarmed at reports of a military take-over of the transitional government. 

'This would contravene the Constitutional Declaration (which outlines the transition) and the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people,' he said, according to a statement on Twitter.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (left), has led Sudan's transitional government since it took power in April 2019, and was due to hand over power to Abdalla Hamdok (right) next month. Hamdok has now been arrested along with his ministers 

Protesters constructed barricades and burned tyres on the streets of Khartoum on Monday amid calls for a campaign of 'civil disobedience' to military rule

The 'coup' comes weeks before Sudan's military leaders were due to hand over key roles in the government to civilians as part of the transition to democracy

Protesters walk between palls of tyre smoke that have filled the streets of Sudan's capital Khartoum since the 'coup' began in the early hours

Tensions within the transitional government have also been exacerbated by a split within the civilian faction of the government that has seen it split into two blocs.

'The crisis at hand is engineered -- and is in the shape of a creeping coup,' Yasser Arman, leader of the civilian FFC told a Saturday press conference in Khartoum.

'We renew our confidence in the government, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, and reforming transitional institutions -- but without dictations or imposition,' he added.

Last week tens of thousands of Sudanese marched in several cities to back the full transfer of power to civilians, and to counter a rival days-long sit-in outside the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum demanding a return to 'military rule'.

On Saturday, Hamdok denied rumours he had agreed to a cabinet reshuffle, calling them 'not accurate'.

The premier also 'emphasised that he does not monopolise the right to decide the fate of transitional institutions.'

Also on Saturday, US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman met jointly with Hamdok, the chairman of Sudan's ruling body General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

'Feltman emphasised US support for a civilian democratic transition in accordance with the expressed wishes of Sudan's people,' the US embassy in Khartoum said.

Analysts have said the recent mass protests showed strong support for a civilian-led democracy, but warned street demonstrations may have little impact on the powerful factions pushing a return to military rule.

Sudan has been politically unstable since a 2019 revolution that overthrew military leader Omar al-Bashir who had ruled the country for three decades (pictured, protesters on Monday)

Since April 2019, power in Sudan has rested with a joint military-civilian coalition that has been wracked with in-fighting and power struggles (pictured, protests on Monday)

The protests are centered around the Sudanese capital of Khartoum (pictured)