Bashir declared the year-long state of emergency on Friday after a sweeping crackdown led by security agents failed to suppress more than two months of protests. The United States, Britain, Norway and Canada had on Tuesday rebuked Sudan over the state of emergency. "In President Bashir's measures they saw only the state of emergency but not his call for holding a dialogue," the statement said. "The state of emergency will not impact freedoms of people and their rights". 'GOLD SMUGGLING'Sudan's Vice President Awad Ibnouf claimed on Wednesday that the state of emergency was not linked to the protests.

Source: Daily Nation February 28, 2019 06:11 UTC