The EU welcomes the announced lifting of the State of Emergency throughout the country and the release of detainees as commendable first steps in creating the much needed conducive environment for dialogue.

We also welcome the decision to allow the Al Jazeera Mubasher channel to resume its operations in Sudan.

Time is of the essence for Sudan’s efforts to find an inclusive and sustainable way out of the current crisis, which is severely affecting the population. We therefore call upon authorities to continue their efforts to create a truly conducive environment for dialogue, by completing the release of those who were detained since 25 October last, ensuring due process to those detainees who face criminal charges against them and effectively ending the violence against peaceful demonstrators, allowing them to enjoy their basic human rights of assembly and expression.

It is crucial for alleged violations of human rights to be investigated and for perpetrators to be held to account.

The EU calls upon all parties to engage actively and constructively in the dialogue efforts, facilitated by the tripartite initiative of UNITAMS, AU and IGAD. They have our full support.