El Burhan: Sudan to release detainees ‘within days’

The President of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, has issued directives to the competent authorities to review the State of Emergency, and release political detainees ‘within days’, to prepare the atmosphere for dialogue. He also said that “unlike the past, we should not allow one group to dominate the political scene”.

At an Iftar (breaking the fast of Ramadan) at the home of the Sovereignty Council member Lt Gen Yasir El Atta, on Friday evening, El Burhan said that he has held a meeting with the Chief Justice and the Attorney General to study the legal status of the detainees and release them within two or three days.

El Burhan also expressed his willingness to relinquish power in the event that the political forces reach an agreement among themselves, and said, “we are ready in the event that the political forces agree”.

He expressed his happiness with the talks about the unity of the revolutionary forces: “We hear talk about the unity of the revolutionary forces, and we are happy with that because it helps speed up consensus."

El Burhan referred to efforts to calm tensions in the country and said: “We are entering a difficult stage in which we must all make concessions for the sake of the country”. Referring to the deteriorating economic and security situation in Sudan, El Burhan said in his statements that “unlike the past, we should not allow one group to dominate the political scene”.