Sudan’s National Assembly yesterday reaffirmed that it would hold an “emergency session” for the country’s National Legislature today “to discuss the state of emergency decree issued by the Sudanese President of Omar Al-Bashir last February.”
State-owned SUNA quoted the parliament’s deputy speaker, Ahmad Mohammad Al-Tijani, as saying that the meeting’s arrangements were being finalised.
“The emergency order was issued in accordance with the country’s current circumstances,” Al-Tijani explained.
On 22 February, Al-Bashir declared a one-year state of emergency across Sudan and dissolved the central and state governments. He had since appointed a caretaker central government and new governors for the country’s 18 states, and officers in the armed forces and security services.
He also pledged “transparent investigations into the deaths of the Sudanese protesters.”
Protesters have staged almost daily demonstrations since December, demanding Al-Bashir, who came to power in a 1989 military coup, step down. The protests were instigated by the high cost of essential goods including bread but have turned into a sustained campaign against Al-Bashir and his government.
Security forces have used tear gas and sometimes live fire to disperse protesters. Activists say nearly 60 people have been killed in the protests, while the official death toll is 32, including three security personnel.
![Protests in Sudan - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]](https://i2.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/m11-1-2019.jpg?resize=933%2C579&quality=75&strip=all&ssl=1)
Protests in Sudan – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]
