Int’l Community Welcomes Ending State of Emergency in Sudan Paving for Dialogue

A Sudanese demonstrator holds a banner calling for the release of detainees (Reuters)
A Sudanese demonstrator holds a banner calling for the release of detainees (Reuters)
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Int’l Community Welcomes Ending State of Emergency in Sudan Paving for Dialogue

A Sudanese demonstrator holds a banner calling for the release of detainees (Reuters)
A Sudanese demonstrator holds a banner calling for the release of detainees (Reuters)

The Troika and the Trilateral Mechanism welcomed the decisions of the Sudanese army to lift the state of emergency and release several political prisoners.

The international organizations said it was an important step to create the appropriate environment for dialogue, noting that the decision requires a sincere policy to be fully implemented.

The Troika, represented by Norway, the US, and the UK stressed the need to end the use of excessive force against the demonstrators and respect the rights of the protesters, calling on all Sudanese parties to engage in the political process facilitated by the UN, the AU, and IGAD.

The Trilateral Mechanism of the United Nations, the African Union, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) welcomed the decision "as positive steps to create the conditions needed for a peaceful resolution for the current political impasse."

The Mechanism said in a statement that it encouraged all stakeholders to be prepared for a constructive dialogue in good faith on a political solution and a peaceful way out of the current crisis.

It urged the authorities to release the remaining political detainees and ensure the right to peaceful assembly and expression, ending the excessive use of force against protesters.

IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu welcomed the decision of the Sudanese Sovereign Council to lift the state of emergency and release political detainees, calling on the army, political parties, civil society organizations, and the youth to engage in comprehensive talks.

He urged all stakeholders to provide full support and actively participate in the initiative of the Trilateral Mechanism, which aims to facilitate a Sudanese-led political process to restore constitutional order and democracy.

Gebeyehu described the decision of the Sudanese Sovereign Council to lift the state of emergency and release prisoners as "a positive step towards creating an environment conducive to resolving the crisis in Sudan."

The People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, described the decision as "a positive step, but not enough."

The movement called for the release of members of the resistance committees and all political detainees and the abolition of all laws restricting freedoms.

The movement's Secretary General, Ammar Amoun, said that Burhan's decision confirms the "decline and failure of the October 25 plans."

On Sunday, the head of Sudan's ruling sovereign council, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, lifted the state of emergency imposed in the country following the October coup he led.

Burhan's decision came hours after the Security and Defense Council, Sudan's highest body that decides on security matters, recommended an end to the state of emergency and the release of all detainees.

The recommendations facilitate dialogue between the military and the pro-democracy movement.

Opposition political forces and resistance committees participating in the political process, sponsored by the Mechanism, said situations would only stabilize if the military measures that restrict freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration are ended.

About 98 demonstrators have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested since the protests against the army's seizure of power began last October.



Switzerland Lifts Economic Sanctions on Syria

A drone view shows the Syrian central bank, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 16, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view shows the Syrian central bank, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 16, 2024. (Reuters)
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Switzerland Lifts Economic Sanctions on Syria

A drone view shows the Syrian central bank, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 16, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view shows the Syrian central bank, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 16, 2024. (Reuters)

Switzerland said on Friday it will lift a raft of economic sanctions imposed on Syria, including the Middle Eastern country's central bank.

After the toppling of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, targeted sanctions against individuals and entities linked to the former government will still remain in place, Switzerland's governing Federal Council said.

"The aim of this decision is to promote the country's economic recovery and an inclusive and peaceful political transition," the council said in a statement.

After an initial easing of sanctions in March, Switzerland is now lifting restrictions on the provision of certain financial services, trade in precious metals and the export of luxury goods, the government said.

Some 24 entities including the central bank of Syria have also been removed from the sanctions list, it added.

The announcement follows the EU's decision to lift its economic sanctions on Syria at the end of May after a similar move by the US Treasury Department in the same month.