Sudan economy: Public anger overflows in Khartoum, El Gezira, River Nile, Red Sea states

Angry crowds took to the streets of Sudan over the last two days to protest the chronic shortage of cash, hyperinflation, and the rising prices of bread, cooking gas, and fuel. Wad Madani, capital of El Gezira, and Port Sudan in Red Sea state and Atbara in River Nile state witnessed student and public demonstrations (scroll-down for more pictures and video).

The police and the security forces have been deployed in large numbers in El Geneina for fear of the outbreak of student demonstrations after the price of a single piece of bread has risen from two Pounds to three Pounds. In Atbara in River Nile state, large contingents of Sudanese Army troops moved into the city.

In spite of the widespread economic woes experienced by ordinary people in Sudan, President Omar Al Bashir said that “the march of development will not stop”.

He said: “What our country is going through is a casual situation that we will soon overcome with the necessary measures and effective solutions.”

Khartoum

Hundreds of students of the University of Khartoum demonstrated in Shambat in Khartoum North in protest against the bread and price crisis on Monday.

The demonstrators chanted slogans condemning the living conditions and calling for the overthrow of the regime

The demonstration preceded by speeches inside the university on the current situation before the students leave outside the university building.

El Gezira

On Monday and Tuesday, demonstrations were ongoing in Wad Madani in El Gezira. Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that students of the University of the Holy Koran demonstrated in the city on Monday evening in protest against the lack of bread. Students of other universities demonstrated on Tuesday.

Port Sudan street demo

Residents said police broke up the demonstrations using tear gas.

They explained that the bread crisis is still in place and that the lines continue for many hours in front of bakeries and pointed to a limited breakthrough in the fuel crisis.

Headquarters of the ruling National Congress Party in Atbara burns

Red Sea, River Nile states

Demonstrations begun by students in Port Sudan and Atbara on Monday and Tuesday were joined by the wider public today. In Atbara, the headquarters of the ruling National Congress Party was torched.

On Tuesday, Jebeit in Red Sea state witnessed student demonstrations that swept across the town in protest against bread crisis and the rise of price of bread to three Pounds.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that police broke-up the demonstration using tear gas.

They said that the demonstrators chanted slogans demanding the solution of the bread crisis and other living crises and calling for political overthrow of the regime

Set price for bread

On Tuesday, the state government of the Red Sea state set two prices for bread in all bakeries, where one Pound of bread was set until the amount of subsidised flour runs out, and bakeries began to produce commercial bread at three Pounds per a loaf of bread.

After a meeting with the governor, the finance minister ordered all restaurants and shops to handle commercial bread, while subsidising subsidised bread for students' residences.

The state government attributed the current measures to the reduction of subsidised flour quota allocated to the state.

Atbara street demo

Journalist Osman Hashim said that residents have to stand in the lines of bread since 2 am and continue throughout the day.

He pointed out that most bakeries close when the quantities of subsidised flour finish.