Long queues as fuel crisis returns to Kordofan

The fuel crisis has returned to the three states of Kordofan, affecting transportation within towns and travel to other states.

For a week, the authorities of Babanusa have stopped supply of commercial fuel, except for the mills, water engines, and vehicles of government departments in the locality.

The fuel stations in El Nehoud have seen a complete lack of fuel for the second day.

An employee in Abu Zabad told Radio Dabanga that the security forces have stopped all fuel permits except for agriculture, which led to the rise of a gallon of diesel on the black market to SDG 100 (*$3.55).

In El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, the security authorities have ordered fuel pump owners not to supply any vehicle with fuel outside the internal fuel tanks.

Yesterday a farmer told Radio Dabanga that the fuel crisis has returned in the stations of the city, which saw long queues of vehicles.

He said he went yesterday to buy fuel for farming, but the owner of the pump refused to supply him with fuel in a barrel, which forced him to buy from the black market.

In eastern Sudan, dozens of El Gedaref farmers gathered on Monday in front of the governor’s office demanding a meeting with the governor over the fuel crisis.

Farmers have warned in an interview with Radio Dabanga of the failure of the current agricultural season due to the renewed diesel crisis.

Farmers said the delay in supplying farmers with the second ration of fuel for more than a week would lead to failure of the season and called on officials to speed up the provision of diesel to save the season.

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