A/HRC/36/63 9. In Western Darfur, the Independent Expert held meetings with the Governor of Western Darfur State and his team, and visited the local community in Adi Kong, a city located on border between the Sudan and Chad. 10. In the Blue Nile State, the Independent Expert met with the State Governor and his team, the State representative of the Humanitarian Aid Commission, representatives of United Nations agencies and civil society organizations. He also visited the Azaza internally displaced persons camp. III. Key recent developments 11. On 10 October 2016, the Sudan National Dialogue adopted an outcome document containing 981 recommendations developed by six committees. It included recommendations for a federal and presidential system of government, a two-chamber parliament — one for deputies and the other for the Council of States — and the separation of the three branches of government. It endorsed principles of democracy and underlined the concept of equal citizenship and the diverse Sudanese identity. On 26 October, the Sudan National Dialogue secretariat presented the document to the National Assembly as the basis for drafting a new permanent constitution within three months. On 5 December, the Higher Coordination Committee of the Sudan National Dialogue was dissolved and a new committee established to follow up on the implementation of the document. 12. Opposition groups, including the Sudan Call coalition, maintained that the Sudan National Dialogue was not an inclusive and consensual process, as agreed upon in the road map agreement, and that the conclusions of the Dialogue could only be used as basis for a new, broader process that it would be ready to join under certain conditions. 13. Following the decision by the Government on 3 November to cut fuel and electricity subsidies in order to prevent inflation, protests erupted in Khartoum, El Fasher, Nyala and several other locations. The authorities arrested 21 members of opposition parties, including the Chair of the National Congress Party, who was accused of inciting the overthrow of the regime. On 25 November, political activists called for mass civil disobedience from 27 to 29 November. Protests, mainly led by students, were reported in Khartoum, Omdurman, El Fasher and several other locations, and arrests by the security services were reported. 14. In line with the recommendations of the Sudan National Dialogue, the National Assembly endorsed amendments to the Constitution on 26 December 2016, which included: (a) the creation of a Government of National Reconciliation with a four-year mandate; (b) a post of Prime Minister within the framework of the presidential system; (c) modifications to the composition of the National Assembly and state legislative councils; and (d) the separation of the posts of Attorney General and Minister of Justice. 15. In January 2017, the Government of the United States of America announced a temporary and partial revocation of bilateral sanctions against the Sudan on the basis of progress made along five tracks, including the cessation of hostilities, improved humanitarian access, an end to negative interference in South Sudan, enhanced cooperation on counter-terrorism and progress made in addressing the threat of the Lord’s Resistance Army. The revocation, which was scheduled to be reviewed in July 2017, allowed for the re-establishment of trade relations between the two countries and was expected to gradually provide significant relief for the economy of the Sudan. 16. After two and a half years in exile, Sadiq al-Mahdi, the Sudanese opponent and leader of the Umma Party, returned to the Sudan on 26 January 2017. In a speech after his arrival, he said that he had returned to the country to stop war, achieve peace and establish democracy and the restitution of rights. 17. On 1 March 2017, President Al-Bashir appointed the First Vice-President, Barki Hasan Saleh, to the post of Prime Minister. He was sworn in the following day, while maintaining his post as First Vice-President. In his new role, Prime Minister Saleh would oversee the implementation of the outcome of the Sudan National Dialogue, including the formation of a Government of National Reconciliation following the dissolution of the current Government on 2 March 2017. A new Government was appointed on 11 May 2017. 4