KHARTOUM, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Members of Sudan's fact-finding committee for investigating the recent popular protests took the oath of office on Wednesday before Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
At a press conference after the oath-taking ceremony, Mohamed Ahmed Salem, Sudan's justice minister and head of the committee, highlighted neutrality and independence of the committee.
He said the committee is tasked with collecting the facts about the recent events which accompanied the protests in some states, calculating the losses and determining the size of the damage.
The committee's tasks also include redressing grievances and determining the responsibility, he added.
Salem noted that the committee is composed of a number of state ministers and representatives of the interior ministry, the National Intelligence and Security Service.
On Dec. 31 last year, al-Bashir issued a decree to form a fact-finding committee to investigate the recent protests in Sudan.
Since Dec. 19, 2018, various areas in Sudan, including the capital Khartoum, have been witnessing popular protests over the deteriorating economic conditions and price hikes of basic commodities.
According to government statistics, at least 24 people have been killed during the protests.
