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Sudan Swears In New Officials Amid State Of Emergency

Sudan's president has enacted a state of emergency amid mass protests calling for his resignation.
Posted at 4:02 PM, Feb 24, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-24 16:02:27-05

Amid protests calling for his resignation, Sudan's president swore in a new prime minister and a new first vice president, among other officials, on Sunday. 

Protesters have been gathering since December to demand better economic conditions. The protests started as a response to the government cutting a bread subsidy but quickly escalated into calls for Sudan's longstanding president, Omar al-Bashir, to resign. A doctor's union said earlier this month that at least 57 people have been killed since the protests began.

Bashir declared a one-year state of emergency on Friday, which gives the military more power to crack down on protesters, press and opposition. The state of emergency also dissolved Sudan's federal and state governments, and the president replaced the state governors with military officials.

A representative of one of the country's political parties said, "What Bashir presented are tactics to keep his regime alive."

As Newsy has previously reported, a group called the Sudanese Professionals Association has taken on much of the organizing and scheduling of the protests. They have called for protesters to continue demonstrations until Bashir steps down.