Sudanese President Appoints Opposition Leader, Ruling Party Acting Head As Aides

Sudanese President Omar Bashir has signed decrees appointing one of the opposition leaders, Sadiq Mahdi from the Umma Party, as well as acting head of the ruling National Congress Party Ahmed Haroun as his aides amid mass anti-government protests in the country, the presidential press service said on Thursday

KHARTOUM (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st March, 2019) Sudanese President Omar Bashir has signed decrees appointing one of the opposition leaders, Sadiq Mahdi from the Umma Party, as well as acting head of the ruling National Congress Party Ahmed Haroun as his aides amid mass anti-government protests in the country, the presidential press service said on Thursday.

"The Republic's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir issued today two decrees on the appointment of Ahmed Haroun and Sadiq Mahdi as presidential aides," the press service said in a statement.

Haroun is a former governor of the North Darfur state, who has been wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court for more than 10 years.

Mahdi, a long-time opposition leader, repatriated in December as the protests were beginning.

These mass anti-government protests, sparked by rising prices and shortages of essential goods, have been ongoing since December. At least 30 people have been killed and 200 others injured in the unrest, according to various sources.

In late February, Bashir dissolved the central government, dismissed the heads of all the provinces and declared a state of emergency amid the mass protests.