Fuel crisis re-emerging in Sudan, transport tariffs double

After a few months of relative relief, the Sudanese capital is again witnessing queues in front of petrol stations. Bus passengers are waiting long hours for transport. The authorities of El Geneina in West Darfur have introduced fuel distribution cards.

Earlier this week, people in Khartoum reported a renewed scarcity of petrol and diesel at the filling station. Pump owners attributed the crisis to the reduction of the daily rations for a number of fuel stations.

A worker at a petrol station in Omdurman told this station on Tuesday that their share of diesel decreased that morning.

Apart from a lack of transport and overcrowded bus stations, commuters in Khartoum complain about a tariff increase of 100 per cent.

“I daily pay at least SDG 10 ($ 0.21*) for a short ride to my work,” a basic school teacher complained. “And as I earn a poor SDG 1,300 ($ 28) a month, I really don’t know any more how to survive.”

Fuel cards

The Commissioner of El Geneina locality in West Darfur has decided to distribute petrol and diesel for commercial and private vehicles through fuel cards.

Commissioner Mohamed Abdelrahman told the press in El Geneina that the illegal sale of fuel outside the filling stations must be banned.

Radio Dabanga reported on Monday that agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Abu Jubeiha in South Kordofan are regulating the distribution of fuel through permits for pumps.

The filling stations are not allowed to supply outside the fuel tanks.

Sudan has been suffering from a scarcity of fuel and cooking gas, in addition to a lack of flour in the last couple of years. In March this year however, the crises became acute.

* Based on the daily US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan.