Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir declared a nationwide state of emergency on Friday and dissolved the government, in an effort to quell weeks of demonstrations that have rocked his iron-fisted rule of three decades.
“I announce imposing a state of emergency across the country for one year,” Bashir said in a televised address to the nation from the presidential palace in Khartoum. “I announce dissolving the government at the federal level and at the provincial levels.”
Deadly protests have rocked the east African country since December 19, with demonstrators accusing the government of mismanaging the nation’s economy and calling on the veteran leader to step down.
Chanting “freedom, peace, justice,” protesters took to the streets after the government tripled the price of bread. Protest organisers vowed to press on with their demonstrations until Bashir stepped down.