The Sudan military has sacked six ambassadors and security forces have tightened their crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, even as international pressure against this week’s coup grows.

The decision by the army was announced late on Wednesday on state media.

The sacked ambassadors included Sudan’s ambassadors to the United States, the European Union, China, Qatar, France and the head of the country’s mission to the Swiss city of Geneva, apparently over their rejection of the military takeover.

It came as demands are mounting for the army to walk back Monday’s coup that derailed Sudan’s fragile transition towards democracy following the removal of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 in a popular uprising.

Several Western embassies in Khartoum also said they will keep recognising deposed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and his cabinet as “the constitutional leaders of the transitional government” of Sudan.

On Wednesday, the African Union announced its decision to suspend Sudan  from the bloc’s activities until the restoration of the country’s civilian-led transitional government, while the United States paused $700m in emergency assistance and the Word Bank froze aid.