Sudan's al-Bashir dissolves state, federal governments

By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) - Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir dissolved the state and federal governments on Friday, declared state of emergency for one year.

Addressing the nation, al-Bashir called on the Sudanese parliament to delay constitutional amendments that would allow him to run for another term in the presidential election in 2020.

"I announced that the national dialogue will continue and called on the parliament to postpone the constitutional amendments," Bashir said.

"I declared the state of emergency for one year, dissolving the government and the state's government," he added.

Meanwhile, protestors in Khartoum streets called on al-Bashir to step down immediately.

Sudan has been rocked by popular protests for the last two months, with demonstrators decrying al-Bashir’s failure to remedy the country’s longstanding economic woes.

Sudanese officials say around 31 people have been killed since the protests began in December, although the opposition puts the number at closer to 50.

A nation of 40 million people, Sudan has struggled to recover from the loss of three quarters of its oil output -- its main source of foreign currency -- when South Sudan seceded in 2011.