Sudan’s al-Burhan forms committee to look into “alarming” eastern Sudan situation

KHARTOUM – The Sudanese Security and Defense Council formed, during a meeting on Tuesday chaired by the country’s ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, a high-level committee to look into the protests that are on the rise in the east of the country, according to defense minister, Major-General Yassin Ibrahim Yassin.

The committee, General Yassin said, would also work to prepare a national “constitutional consultative conference” which will also discuss the landmark peace agreement signed by the Sudanese parties over the weekend.

“The meeting discussed events in the east, and received security enlightenment from the competent authorities,” Yassin said during a press conference following the high-level security meeting in Khartoum.

“The council has made clear decisions regarding the freedom to demonstrate and sit-in. Demonstrations are not allowed to close national roads and ports, due to their direct impact on the national economy and Sudan’s foreign relations,” he added.

The Red Sea State in eastern Sudan is witnessing escalating protests, since last Sunday, as a result of which the southern port of Port Sudan was closed, in refusal to the signing of  the “Eastern Path” protocol along with the peace agreement signed in Juba.