A one-time powerful ally of Sudan's ousted President Omar al-Bashir has been re-arrested.

Ibrahim Ghandour, head of Sudan's former ruling National Congress Party and a former foreign minister was released from prison on Sunday by the military, which staged a coup last week.

He had been freed along with two security officials who served under Bashir.

The move by the military to release the former president’s allies has been widely criticized.

The Information Ministry, which remains loyal to ousted Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, said it revealed the political motive of the coup.

Sudan's military - led by generals who served in Bashir's regime - took power a week ago, and have placed Mr Hamdok under house arrest.

Mr Hamdok took office after Bashir was overthrown in 2019.

He led a civilian administration that was in an uneasy power-sharing government with the military until last week's coup.

Mr Ghandour was arrested last year on suspicion of plotting to sabotage the Hamdok-led transitional government.