Sudan\u2019s President Omar al-Bashir has said all political prisoners in the country are to be released.<\/p>\n
In a speech at the opening of parliament, Mr Bashir also said the government was committed to a \u201cnational dialogue\u201d with all groups.<\/p>\n
It was not immediately clear how many prisoners would be released under the announcement.<\/p>\n
The move comes as tensions ease in Sudan amid improving relations with neighbouring South Sudan.<\/p>\n
Mr Bashir said Sudan had now \u201cguaranteed the atmosphere for freedoms and the safeguarding of the freedom of expression of individuals and groups\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, we announce a decision to free all the political prisoners and renew our commitment to all political powers about dialogue,\u201d he said, without giving further details.<\/p>\n
The government would continue to communicate with \u201call political and social powers without excluding anyone, including those who are armed, for a national dialogue which will bring a solution to all the issues,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Bashir\u2019s announcement was welcomed by Human Rights Watch (HRW), which said it hoped it would lead to an end to arbitrary detentions and torture under Sudan\u2019s strict national security laws.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a chronic pattern of human rights abuse in Sudan,\u201d said HRW\u2019s Sudan researcher Jehanne Henry.<\/p>\n
She said the organisation heard of cases every month where \u201cpeople perceived to have political opinions not in keeping with those of the government\u201d were detained.<\/p>\n
But analysts said it was unclear how the government would define political prisoners, and whether the release would include rebel fighters and government officials currently on trial for plotting a coup.<\/p>\n
Sudan has been facing a heightened security situation since South Sudan became independent in 2011.<\/p>\n
Tension between the new neighbours has been strained, with rebellions breaking out on either side of the border and a dispute over oil which escalated to the brink of war in April.<\/p>\n
However, in September the leaders of both nations signed a deal, mediated by the African Union, to resume oil sales and set up a demilitarised buffer zone.<\/p>\n
Last month, Mr Bashir, who came to power in a coup in 1989, said he would step down at the next election in 2015 because Sudan needed \u201cfresh blood\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sudan\u2019s President Omar al-Bashir has said all political prisoners in the country are to be released. In a speech at the opening of parliament, Mr Bashir also said the government was committed to a \u201cnational dialogue\u201d with all groups. It was not immediately clear how many prisoners would be released under the announcement. The move […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":183635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[371,318],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-183638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arab-world-en","category-rotator-en","post-wrapper"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n