Rallies for power supply to Sudan’s northern towns

People from the Northern state carried out protests to demand the delivery of hydroelectricity to villages in Dalgo locality and an investigation into the funds' committee on Monday.

Sudanese Nubians and their supporters held the protest in front of the Council of Ministers in the Sudanese capital, which coincided with a protest in front of the governor's office in Northern state. They demanded the construction of supply lines of electricity to 35 villages in Dalgo locality, an investigation into the funds of the electricity suppliers, and the review of the concerned electricity committees.

Abuzar Mohamed Ali, the head of the Nubian entity in Khartoum, told Radio Dabanga that their protest started at 11.30am and lasted two hours, until a memorandum with these demands was submitted to the competent authorities.

The Northern state Governor has ordered the payment and an investigation

A similar rally was carried out in front of the governor's office in Dongola where he was handed a similar memorandum. Mohamed Ali added that on Sunday, the Governor met with local sheikhs and he directed the Finance Minister to pay the share of his state in the electricity supply contract, which is about 40 percent.

“He also promised to open an investigation into the funds and the work of the committees, according to the demands of our people, along with the fund review.”

Mohamed Ali said that the residents will stop their protests as soon as the state has signed a contract with companies to connect the 35 villages in Northern state to the electricity grid, coming from the Merowe Dam.

In 2012, the 'Fathi Khalil committee' was formed to oversee private funding to the extension of power supply to the area. “But that committee has spent the funds raised for an other purpose,” an activist told Radio Dabanga this month.