After months of bloody protests, the military rulers in East African Sudan have lifted the state of emergency. This was announced by the self-proclaimed head of state, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, by decree on Sunday evening. The decree also provides for the release of political prisoners. According to reports from the Sudan Tribune, 125 prisoners were released a few hours later. In the decree, Burhan spoke of the hope for “dialogue” and “stability”.

The military seized power last October, overthrew an interim government made up of civilians and the military, and declared a nationwide state of emergency. As a result, street protests broke out again and again in the country with 45 million inhabitants.

According to human rights organizations, security forces are said to have illegally arrested and severely abused hundreds of anti-government demonstrators. International economic aid was largely frozen.

Sudan’s long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir was driven out of office in April 2019 after mass protests and a military coup. The military, led by Al-Burhan, and the civilian opposition agreed in a constitutional agreement on a joint interim government that should pave the way for elections in 2022.