Sudan: ‘Lack of control leads to loss of fuel, flour’

The fuel shortages in the capital of Red Sea state have led to an increase in bus prices. The governor of Khartoum proposed a mechanism to combat embezzlement and illegal storage of fuel and flour. North Kordofan activists organised a rally yesterday, in protest against the ongoing fuel crisis and the military governor.

For more than a week now, Port Sudan is witnessing long lines of vehicles waiting in front of fuel stations to obtain some petrol or diesel, journalist Osman Hashim told Radio Dabanga.

“The city gets its full share of fuel, but because of the lack of control by the relevant authorities most of the petrol and diesel is sold on the black market,” he claimed.

“The price of a gallon of petrol at the black market reached SDG 1,250 ($ 22,70*)”, Hashim complained.

“A ticket for the bus from Port Sudan to Kassala has increased from SDG 400 to SDG 700. We now have to pay SDG 1,000 for a bus ticket from Port Sudan to Khartoum instead of SDG 560 some weeks ago.”

Maj Gen Ahmed Abdoun, Governor of Khartoum, has proposed the establishment of a mechanism consisting of members of the regular forces, to prevent the embezzlement and storage of state-subsidised goods, such as fuel and flour.

In a press statement on Thursday, Abdoun announced he is discussing the proposal with the central government.

“Because of the lack of control, most of the petrol and diesel is sold on the black market.” – Osman Hashim, Port Sudan

The governor further lauded “the great coordination between the components of the Khartoum security committee” which has helped in combating fraud in the state.

Efforts are still required concerning in pension cases, he added.

Civilian government

Members of resistance committees in the neighbourhoods of El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan, carried out a protest rally on Thursday, demanding an end to the transportation crisis, and a civilian government.

Speaking to this station, Ali Ibrahim, a leading member of the Sudanese Professionals Association in El Obeid reported that the protesters calling for a solution for the fuel shortages and the ensuing public transportation crisis in the city.

They also demanded the replacement of the acting military governor of North Kordofan by a civilian governor, the dismissal of the secretary general and the executive director of the State Secretariat as they are allegedly affiliated with the former regime.

The Sudanese government has agreed with the rebel movements that the current military governors of the 18 states of the country will be replaced only after a comprehensive peace agreement has been reached.

* USD 1 = SDG 55.1375 at the time of posting. As effective foreign exchange rates can vary in Sudan, Radio Dabanga bases all SDG currency conversions on the daily middle US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS).

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