Arrests at more price hike protests in Sudan

Four students were arrested by security officials on Wednesday after dozens of youths staged a protest in front of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Khartoum against the increases in the prices of medicines, fuel, and electricity.

One of the activists told Radio Dabanga from Khartoum that the security forces arrested Abu Zar Samah, student Mohammed Omer of Khartoum University and a third activist.

On Wednesday morning, dozens of young women carried out a peaceful march in Atbara in River Nile State in protest against the recent economic decisions to liberalise process, as well as the arrests activists in Khartoum.

Blue Nile

A witness told Radio Dabanga from Atbara that young activists held posters denouncing the recent economic decisions. The protest turned into a peaceful march that moved around Atbara market and found response from Atbara residents through chanting slogans.

The witness pointed out that the security and police intensified their presence in the market during the vigil.

In Khartoum, for the second day in a row, the security apparatus summoned four of the leaders of the National Consensus Coalition to the political security offices on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Fathi Fadul, the spokesman of Sudanese Communist Party, said on Tuesday morning the security services summoned Siddig Yousif, Mohammed Diauldin, Tarig Abdel Majid and Munzir Abul Maali who were held all day and released late on Tuesday night.

He explained that the four were also summoned on Wednesday until 7 pm.

In early November, the Minister of Finance announced the liberalisation of fuel prices in the country. The measures that took effect the next day are part of an economic reform programme, which according to President Omar Al Bashir was needed “to avoid the collapse of the country”.

As the ongoing shortages of hard currency at the Central Bank of Sudan continued to push the black market rate of the US Dollar upwards this year, the government also liberalised the official hard currency rates for a number of import goods and services last week. This immediately affected the prices of wheat and medicines.