Sudan's al-Bashir issues tough emergency laws

By Mohammed Amin</p> <p>KHARTOUM (AA) – Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir issued additional emergency decrees Monday as protests continued in the capital.</p> <p>They include a ban on public gatherings and protests, the establishment of emergency courts to prosecute protesters, a ban on trading or hoarding subsidized goods and fuel products and new regulations on trading and transporting foreign currencies and gold.</p> <p>Those found guilty under the new measures face up to 10 years in prison.</p> <p>Police and security officials can also monitor individuals and detain anyone suspected of being involved in any activity that violates the emergency laws.</p> <p>In a related development, a newly-appointed vice-president, prime minister and 15 regional governors were all sworn in on Monday.</p> <p>Protests in Khartoum continued for a third straight day despite the recent imposition of a state of emergency.</p> <p>“Thousands protested in and around downtown Khartoum chanting slogans against President Omar al-Bashir,” Ahmed Bala, a Sudanese activist, told Anadolu Agency.</p> <p>Police reportedly surrounded three university campuses in the capital, including the University of Medical Science and Technology, Sudan International University and Al-Ahfad University.</p> <p>Multiple student activists told Anadolu Agency that police conducted raids at all three campuses, using teargas to disperse demonstrators.</p> <p>“Police raided campuses and beat students,” one demonstrator said.</p> <p>On Friday, al-Bashir declared a year-long state of emergency to deal with protests that have rocked the country for more than two months, with demonstrators decrying his failure to remedy the country’s chronic economic woes.</p> <p>A nation of 40 million, Sudan has struggled to recover from the loss of some three quarters of its oil output — its main source of foreign currency — since South Sudan seceded in 2011.