Facing Protests, Sudan's Leader Declares Yearlong State of Emergency
Source: New York Times
By Declan Walsh
Feb. 22, 2019
CAIRO — Sudan’s leader, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, imposed a yearlong state of emergency and dissolved the federal and state governments on Friday, in an attempt to end months of nationwide street protests that have shaken his authority after three decades of rule.
In a televised address in which he declared the state of emergency, Mr. al-Bashir acknowledged the economic hardship that triggered the first protests on Dec. 19. But he said the protest movement had been hijacked by elements with “agendas” to achieve “zero sum scenarios.”
The immediate implications of the state of emergency were unclear; Mr. al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes, has ruled with an iron fist for decades. Over 1,000 people have reportedly been arrested since December.
Mr. al-Bashir came to power in a military coup in 1989. Under his rule, the country has endured famines, American missile strikes, international isolation and a civil war that led to the independence of South Sudan in 2011.
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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/world/africa/sudan-bashir-emergency.html
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