Queues across Sudan as prices soar and stocks dwindle

Long queues have been reported at shops for basic goods in El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, in the wake of an unprecedented rise in the prices of consumer goods and a shortage of fuel and flour.

The Transport Chamber of Kosti in the White Nile State announced that the tariff of internal transport in city would be raised from SDG 3 to SDG 5.

Drivers strike

The city also witnessed a comprehensive strike of the drivers of ATOS vehicles who demanded a raise of transport the tariff and attributed it to the increase in the cost of spare parts.

The city's transport stations have witnessed widespread protests rejecting these increases.

Khartoum

Radio Dabanga reported yesterday that in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, the shortage of flour has also caused queues in front of bakeries.

In early January this year, the Sudanese government raised the customs rate of the US Dollar from SDG 6.7 to SDG 18, in a bid to halt the plummeting of the Pound at the black market. To no avail though, as the Dollar rate increased from SDG 28 to SDG 34.50 in the following two weeks.

Inflation

On January 21, the Central Bank set the indicative exchange rate of the Dollar on SDG 18. Two weeks later, the greenback hit SDG 42 on the black forex market in Khartoum.

On Monday, the Central Bank of Sudan raised the indicative exchange rate of the US Dollar from SDG 18 to SDG 30.

The rising prices and runaway inflation prompted mass public protests across the country in January. The protests were faced by violence and detentions by the Sudanese authorities.