Street vendor warns of growing insecurity in Khartoum

The street vendors at the Soug El Arabi in Khartoum complain of constantly being chased by the local authorities and their goods confiscated. Their chances to earn a decent living are severely curtailed, they say. Speaking to Radio Dabanga from Khartoum, a university graduate working as street vendor said that the living conditions in Sudan have become very difficult. This is because of the ongoing price increases and the lack of decent employment opportunities for graduates. It narrows low-income employment opportunities for janitors, women who sell tea, street vendors, the homeless, and others. “It has made our lives intolerable”.The fine street vendors have to pay when caught has risen to SDG101 ($18). Job opportunitiesThe graduate warned for “growing insecurity”, because “many desperate poor began to resort to improper means in order to be able to pay for their daily food, drink, medical care, and education for their children. “Young people in Khartoum and in the states are suffering the most from the lack of job opportunities,” he explained. “They want to be able to help themselves and their families because of the few sources of income of their relatives. The aspirations of young people have been crushed. They do not know how to cope with life anymore.” According to the graduate, “large numbers of people migrating from the states to Khartoum, as well as the presence of many foreigners from neighbouring countries, and even from overseas, make it even more difficult for us to find any job”. He called on the government to find a prompt solution for the dire living conditions of the youth, and to refrain from harassing of citizens trying to earn their living in a decent way. File photo: A street vendor selling Sudanese flags in Khartoum