Sudan: Protests against mining, old regime, increased fees

Yesterday, people in Abu Jubeiha in South Kordofan protested the pollution caused by mining companies in the area. In White Nile state, teachers and workers demand the dismissal of employees appointed during the regime of ousted President Omar Al Bashir. The capital of El Gezira state witnessed a vigil against increased health centre fees.

Hundreds of demonstrators in Abu Jubeiha in South Kordofan marched to the locality offices in the town, in protest against the illegal disposal of toxic mining waste in the locality.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, activist Hasan Khalil reported that the protest rally was organised by the resistance committees of Abu Jubeiha, in response to the decision of the South Kordofan state government to allow the resumption of the two mining plants in the locality.

The demonstrators toured the town market before they went to the locality offices, Khalil said. The two mining companies in the locality are El Etimad in Mireifin and Abersi in Abu Sharifa.

The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) in Abu Jubeiha locality also protested the decision of the governor concerning the resumption of traditional gold mining in the area.

They submitted a memorandum to the locality director declaring their “total rejection” of the work of the mining plants, and demanded the “immediate removal of these companies and their machineries from the locality”, and officially called on the South Kordofan judicial authorities to launch an independent investigation into the environmental damage caused by the mining companies.

Affiliations, fees

On Sunday, basic school teachers in Ed Duweim locality in White Nile state embarked on a strike, demanding the dismissal of the Director General of the Ed Duweim Education Department and other people affiliated with the now defunct regime of Omar Al Bashir. They said they will only lift the strike and their sit-in in front of the locality offices when their demands are fulfilled.

On Monday, the Workers Association of the Kenana Sugar Company in White Nile state carried out a protest in front of the company’s administration complex.

They submitted a memorandum to the manager demanding the return of the arbitrarily dismissed during the uprising, the dismantling of the company’s security committee set-up during the regime of Al Bashir and the restructuring of the company's management. The workers threaten to lay down their tools when their demands are not met.

Yesterday, members of the resistance committees of the neighbourhoods of Wad Madani, capital of El Gezira, carried out a vigil at Banat district, against the increased prices for medical examinations in the city’s health centres.

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