South Sudan claims credit for lifting of Sudan state of emergency, detainees’ release

JUBA – South Sudan on Friday said it was behind the recent lifting of the state of emergency and release of prisoners in Sudan.

Tut Gatluak, Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs, said the decision came after meeting senior members of the Sudan Sovereign Council and recommended the lifting of the state of emergency and release of people imprisoned under emergency law.

“We sit together with members of Sudan Sovereign Council and discussed all political issues in Sudan, and we requested for the lifting of the state of emergence and release of all political detainees,” Gatluak told reporters at Juba International Airport upon his arrival from Khartoum on Friday.

“President Burhan responded immediately by holding an emergency meeting and accepted our request and started lifting the state of emergency and released all political detainees and that was the first achievement.”

On Monday, Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan issued a decree lifting a state of emergency that was imposed following a coup on October 25 last year.

Sudan has been rocked by mass protests since the coup, which has been met by a violent crackdown that has left nearly 100 people dead and hundreds wounded, according to pro-democracy medics.

Hundreds of activists have also been rounded up in the clampdown under emergency laws.

“We went to Khartoum with a message President of South Sudan to the head of Sudanese Sovereign Council and to monitor the implementation of Juba Peace Agreement and the present political situation in Sudan.”

Gatluak said that President Kiir is exerting efforts toward the unity of Sudan.

“All delegations from the region that visit Sudan have been requesting for a state of emergency to be lifted, but they accepted a request from President Kiir,” senior official said.

“We have worked together with IGAD, AU, and UN to resolve the problem in Sudan, we discussed with all political forces except the National Congress party.”