High prices expected to cause famine

An economist at the American University in Cairo, Dr Hamid Tijani Ali said he expects Sudan will face famine conditions in the near future, due to the restricted availability of consumer goods and subsequent high prices currently affecting citizens across the country. In an interview with Radio Dabanga to be broadcast on Saturday, Tijani said the Sudanese treasury has a deficit of $ 7 billion following the loss of oil revenue. He said Sudan imports most of its food from abroad which requires hard currency such as the dollar. The economist noted that the services sector, particularly healthcare and education threaten to stop completely, and warned raising taxes will only exacerbate the living conditions of citizens. He added the government’s talk of discovering new resources such as gold, to replace revenue losses is ‘nothing but a fantasy, and comical to citizens.’ Tijani also said he expects Sudan will try to ignite a war with South Sudan to distract the population from the country’s economic crisis.