Sudan fuel crisis: South Kordofan running on empty

El Abbasiya locality in South Kordofan is witnessing an acute fuel crisis. A number of residents confirmed that there is no fuel to be found in the area. The pumps stopped working two days ago.

Independent MP Mubarak El Nur warned for of the dangers to the lives of citizens in the traditional mining areas due to the shortage of fuel and the confiscation of the remaining fuel by the authorities for their own use.

The head of the Gold Exporters Group Abdelmunim El Siddig said that the imposition of the State of Emergency and measures taken against parallel market dealers has stopped most of the mills in the country, because the authorities prevented the sale of diesel on the black market.

He said in a statement last week that the Gold Exporters Group are now definitely no longer  part of the national gold export and competition due to the government companies monopoly of gold export.

Trading in foreign currency and gold has been further regulated and curtailed by Emergency Order 3* issued on February 25 in terms of the year-long State of Emergency declared by President Omar Al Bashir on February 22.

* Emergency Order 3 regulates the handling of foreign exchange and determining controls for the exit of foreign currency and gold through ports and crossings. 

The following is prohibited:

1. Dealing in foreign exchange for sale or purchase outside the official channels;

2. Carrying more than $3,000 or the equivalent of other foreign currencies as a person traveling through any air or sea port or any land crossing;

3. Carrying or possessing more than 150 grams of manufactured gold as a traveller outside Sudan through any air, sea, or land port;

4. Carrying, possessing or storing any quantity of raw gold, whatever it is from, by those who are not licensed to manufacture or export;

5. Anyone who holds any gold in any form must comply with the regulations issued by the competent authorities, which determine the conditions for the transfer of gold from one region to another;

The order stipulates that anyone who commits, participates, aids, facilitates or permits the committing of any of the acts above, shall be punished by at least imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years and a fine, and confiscation of the currencies.