Parliament in Sudan has voted to shorten the state of emergency declared by President Omar al-Bashir in February, to six months.
It was initially imposed for one year, following widespread protests over the cost of living.
The deputy speaker of parliament Ahmed Attijani said some MPs opposed the measure because it limited people’s freedoms. Protesters have called for Mr Bashir to stand down.
Activists say more than 800 people have been tried in emergency courts recently set up in Sudan
The state of emergency
On Feb. 22, Sudan’s embattled president, Omar al-Bashir, declared a one-year, nationwide state of emergency. He subsequently issued five decrees to implement the declaration that collectively
The state of emergency came during peaceful protests — started by the Sudanese people late last year, which now pose a credible threat to the 30-year rule of Bashir’s National Congress Party. Bashir, already wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for atrocities against his own people, clearly recognizes the precariousness of his position following his government’s conspicuous failure to stem the protests through use of excessive force.
The true objective of Bashir’s declaration of a state of emergency appears to be stopping the protests that are in their fourth month.
What is a state of emergency?
A declaration of emergency entails a partial breakdown of the constitutional order; for the period of the emergency, the protection of certain rights can be suspended. Both national constitutions and international law place strict conditions on the invocation of such extraordinary measures.
Legally, there must be an official proclamation identifying a situation that “threatens the life of the nation.” No doubt, Bashir and the National Congress Party feel they are under threat.
Decrees restricting basic rights of gathering and assembly, prohibiting strikes, symposiums, discussion gatherings, events, and any similar activities without permission, speak to the real targets of the emergency measures. But under the 2005 Sudanese constitution, the outbreak of peaceful protests, even if they implicitly or explicitly aim to topple the government, is not one of the grounds for declaring a state of emergency.