Sudan's military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced the lifting of the state of emergency on Sunday, according to the ruling sovereign council. The decree aims to create conditions for dialogue during the transitional period, the council stated.
The move follows months of unrest triggered by the October 2021 coup that disrupted Sudan's fragile transition after the 2019 ouster of former president Omar al-Bashir. The military takeover led to widespread protests and a violent crackdown that has killed nearly 100 people, according to pro-democracy medics.
UN special representative Volker Perthes had recently urged the removal of emergency measures after two protesters were killed during anti-coup demonstrations. The sovereign council also recommended releasing detainees held under emergency laws and allowing Al Jazeera's Sudan bureau to resume operations after a January ban.
The trial of four protesters accused of murdering General Ali Bareema, a senior police officer killed during January's protests, opened in Khartoum on Sunday. The case was adjourned to June 12 after allegations of torture in custody emerged. The defendants, arrested in January, have been in detention since.
Sudan's economic crisis, worsened by decades of mismanagement and international isolation, remains a critical challenge. Regional and international bodies including the UN, African Union, and IGAD continue to push for Sudanese-led talks to resolve the political deadlock.
