Soaring prices, deteriorating border trade in Sudan’s West Kordofan

People in West Kordofan complain about a rapid increase in commodity prices last week.

“Many families now really cannot cover their living expenses anymore,” a resident of the state capital En Nahud told Radio Dabanga.

“Three years ago, we got four pieces of bread for one Pound. Earlier this year, this was reduced to two pieces. Now one piece costs one Pound,” she said.

“The price of a kilogramme of sugar has risen from SDG12 ($1.90) to SDG14 ($2.30), a pound of tea from SDG40 ($6.50) to SDG50 ($8.10), while the price of a malwa (3 kg) of sorghum increased from SDG23 ($3.70) to SDG28 ($4.50).

She added that the price of a cylinder of cooking gas rose to SDG150 ($24).

In the beginning of this year, the average salary was between SDG500 ($80) and SDG1,000 ($160).

Border trade

West Kordofan activists told Radio Dabanga from El Muglad that the trade with South Sudan is hampered by the authorities. “Agents of the security apparatus are harassing the traders and regularly confiscate loads of goods on the pretext that the goods are smuggled.”

The activists have listed “the names of hundreds of traders whose merchandise was confiscated, despite having a trading permit”. They further pointed to merchant Ibrahim Ali Ibrahim, who was recently held by Military Intelligence officers. “They took him and his merchandise to an unknown destination, and we have not heard of him since.”

According to the sources, “the emergency laws issued by Khartoum are harming the border trade on both sides”.