(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa is set to arrive in Sudan on Friday to try to resolve a deepening political crisis as pro-democracy protests started in the capital.

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Khartoum, demanding an end to what they say is an attempt by the army to derail the nation’s nascent transition toward a civilian government. The military and civilians have shared power in an interim administration since the ouster of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019. 

The visit by Jeffrey Feltman comes as tensions have flared between the two factions and fears of a coup have mounted. A group of protesters gathered outside the presidential palace on Oct. 9, calling for the army to take control.

The crisis could derail Sudan’s economic revival. A pariah in the West under al-Bashir, the U.S. in December rescinded the North African country’s almost three-decade designation as a state sponsor of terror, recently the nation secured International Monetary Fund funding and a pledge by the Paris Club of creditors to rework $23.5 billion of its debt.

“If the transition is interrupted, if one side or the other in this partnership tries to prevail, then the U.S. support for all of these issues, including debt relief, will be in question,” The National reported, citing Feltman.

‘Last Card’

The military is seeking to divide the civilian government and is stirring instability as a way to highlight its importance, Cabinet Affairs Minister Khalid Omer Yousif said.

“They have reached a very wrong conclusion that this is the time to take over,” he said in an interview. “They are playing their last card. That’s why today is defining, because they will see how much the people of Sudan are united behind the civilian government.” 

Representatives for the army didn’t reply to questions.

The transition government has also come under pressure on other fronts. Earlier this month, a coalition of powerful former rebel groups split with their civilian allies and called for a new administration. 

Sudan’s Beja community, the predominant group in eastern Sudan, has imposed a blockade on the nation’s main port that’s brought trade to a halt since Sept. 17. Its leader Mohamed Alamin Tirik accuses Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s government of betraying the people who ousted al-Bashir.

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