Sudan fuel shortage triggers tribal friction, transport paralysed

The countrywide fuel shortage has increased suffering in villages, cities, and towns in Sudan – the price for the little fuel available is prohibitive.

In Babanousa in West Kordofan the crisis has prompted passengers to overcrowd at stations where most transport vehicles stopped due to the fuel crisis, high ticket prices and the cost of transportation.

An employee from Babanousa told Radio Dabanga that the price of a gallon of diesel in the black market has amounted to SDG 75 (*$4,16), a gallon of petrol to SDG 200 and the price of a ticket from El Fula to Khartoum has risen from SDG 300 to SDG 370.

Tribal friction

In eastern Sudan, the head of the agricultural committee of El Gedaref State Legislative Council, Walid Hassan, reported that there has been a friction between the pastoral tribes over the water sources and grazing areas in the state because of the fuel and water crisis which has led to the death of 10 and injuring others in the past period.

He pointed out to the stationing of pastoralists and livestock breeders in the northern region of Muharag, Gadbili, Abukashima, Abusaneh and Umsharabat.

The farmers of El Gezira and Managil Agricultural Scheme and the White Nile Project have complained of the ongoing diesel problem.

Residents of New Halfa in Kassala have protested against the rising price of sugar.

 A residents told Radio Dabanga from New Halfa that the price of 50-kilogram sack of sugar has risen to SDG 1,300 while the price of a pound of sugar has risen to SDG 15.

Price hikes

He called on the government to urgently intervene and control the hike of prices.

On Wednesday in Khartoum, MP Mahmoud Abdeljabbar filed a request to summon the ministers of finance and industry to hold them accountable for rising sugar prices.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, he described the rise in the price of sack of sugar to SDG 1300 as unjustified.

He explained that the cost of producing a sack of sugar in the factories does not exceed SDG 600 and accused unknown parties of placing high fees and profits on sugar.

He warned of a crisis in sacks of sugar because of the disruption of 13 machines in the sugar factory in Sennar and the lack of maintenance for the operating machines.

The Minister of Industry Dr Mousa Karama attributed the high prices of sugar to the stop of the national companies from selling to the traders and the public and described the rise as temporary.

On Wednesday he announced at a meeting of the Ministry of Industry putting additional quantities to reduce the prices which have risen in the past period.

Karama stressed that the market is free and the intervention is through provision of additional quantities of sugar to reduce the prices.

* Based on the official US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS)