Sudan faces protests over food, salary reforms, and work environment

Multiple protests continued to take place across Sudan, as residents of Zamzam camp called for more food provisions, the Education Workers Union demanded a fair salary system, and the Union of Workers of the Sennar Dam Reservoir continued to strike.

Yesterday dozens of residents of the Zamzam camp for displaced people near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, blocked the road between El Fasher and Nyala in a protest against the lack of adequate food provisions. The World Food Programme reorganised its distribution of food in the camp using voucher cards, which the displaced claim prevented many from receiving adequate food supplies.

Protesters set up barricades and burned tires to block the road for traffic coming from or heading towards Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, forcing car owners to change their route.

In addition to the roadblock, dozens of displaced young men, women, and children gathered on the main street near the former UNAMID offices chanting slogans that call for justice in food distributions.

One of the protestors said that the vigil was held in solidarity with the displaced living in Zamzam camp, who organised a sit-in in front of the World Food Programme’s headquarters in El Fasher three days ago demanding a fair redistribution of food rations for the displaced.

Union protests

At the same time, the Steering Committee of the Education Workers Union organised a protest in Khartoum in front of the Council of Ministers, demanding unpaid salaries and the restructuring of the salary system.

The committee said that it had submitted several notes to the Ministry of Finance but that none of their demands had been met.

Meanwhile, the Union of Workers of the Sennar Dam Reservoir have not yet made a decision about lifting their strike action.

Following a meeting with the Union of Workers of the Sennar Dam Reservoir, the Irrigation Minister, Yasir Abbas, pledged to improve the work environment and “to eliminate financial paradoxes”.

Eng Montasir Ahmed, the Union’s representative, announced that the outcomes of the meeting with the minister will be presented to the workers in the reservoir, in light of which they will decide whether to lift the strike or not. He confirmed, however, that an emergency committee of workers is ready to intervene at all times in case emergencies or risks at the reservoir resulting from the strike.

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