A coup attempt in Sudan failed early on Sept. 21, state media reported The country is grappling with a fragile transition since the 2019 ouster of longtime president Omar Al-Bashir LONDON: Sudan’s civilian prime minister Abdalla Hamdok said Wednesday “democracy is not a gift” as the country reels from a coup attempt. The military said on Monday they had detained 21 officers who attempted to seize power. In an interview with newspaper Al-Sudani, Hamdok said that “there is no excuse for a coup from any side, and if the citizens are dissatisfied then they will also not accept a coup. This kind of talk is astonishing.” Later, Hamdok said on Twitter: “Democracy is not a gift or a grant — it is made by people and the movement of the entire world is in the direction of becoming a democratic world. “Our struggle in Sudan since independence until today is with the aim of establishing an independent democratic system that meets the aspirations and needs of our people.” The coup attempt has increased tensions between the military and civilian leaders, who share power under a fragile agreement put in place after the downfall of long-serving autocrat Omar Al-Bashir in 2019. Military leaders on Wednesday accused the civilian politicians of leaving the door open for a coup attempt by neglecting to serve the people.