Queues for bread, cooking gas, petrol in Khartoum; price hikes in South Darfur

For the fourth consecutive day, the bread and cooking gas crisis continues in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, in addition to a shortage of petrol and diesel.On Monday morning and evening “grumbling people” were queuing in front of bakeries and petrol stations. In some neighbourhoods small demonstrations erupted. These were quickly dispersed by the police. According to various sources, the demonstrations broke out on Sunday evening in protest against the bread shortage and the rampant price hikes in the east Khartoum neighbourhoods of Burri and Manshiya, and Kalakla in south Khartoum, and continued until Monday evening. Citizens in Mohandiseen in Omdurman, and Durushab in Khartoum North went to the streets in protest too. The demonstrations seem to be confined to neighbourhoods so far. Yet, the sources told Radio Dabanga that they expect the protests to widen, unless the government takes measures to resolve the bread and cooking gas crisis. South Darfur markets In South Darfur, a trader from Nyala told Radio Dabanga, the price of a gallon of petrol at the petrol stations rose to SDG40 ($6.95), while it was sold on the black market for SDG50 ($8.70). The price of a leaf of bread rose from SDG0.30 to SDG1 ($0.17). The markets in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, witnessed as well a significant rise of commodity prices. 45kg of okra now costs SDG1,200 ($209), while the price of 45kg of sesame reached SDG700 ($122). A large sack (about 100kg) of millet sells at SDG400 ($70), and a litre of cooking oil costs SDG10 ($1.75). File photo: People queuing for a bread distribution post in Khartoum (Hurriyat newspaper) Related: Sudan’s finance ministry accused of hiding SDG16 billion (15 January 2014)US Dollar price rises on Sudan’s black market (5 January 2014)Khartoum bread crisis caused by Central Bank of Sudan (19 November 2013)