♦ Sudan: This week’s news in brief ♦

A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan's news highlights from Darfur and Sudan

♦  New Khartoum governor threatens to tighten lockdown

April 20 – 2020 KHARTOUM / OMDURMAN The new governor of Khartoum state, Yousef El Dei, does not rule out that he will gradually reduce the hours allowed for shopping if overcrowding in the residential districts continues.

The Covid-19 lockdown in Khartoum started on Saturday. People are restricted to do their shopping from 6 am until 1 pm. The major markets closed as well. The lockdown will be evaluated in the coming three days, the new governor said.

On Saturday, Sudan’s Ministry of Health reported 30 new cases of coronavirus, including four fatalities. 27 cases were confirmed in Khartoum, one in El Gezira, and two in White Nile state on Friday, bringing the total to 66 since the first patient was reported in March.

Bread and cooking gas shortages in Khartoum increased significantly last week, causing overcrowding in front of bakeries and selling points of cooking gas.

The governor of Khartoum promised to address the current imbalance in the distribution of cooking gas to the residential districts. He said the state government provided 10,000 [100 kg] sacks of flour. The governor expects this amount to increase until the shortage has disappeared.

Former Minister of Governance Yousef El Dei was appointed as acting governor of Khartoum last week, after PM Abdallah Hamdok dismissed the military governor for refusing to ban group prayers in Khartoum mosques.

♦  Forex: Sudanese Pound hits new lows against greenback

April 14 – 2020 KHARTOUM The value of the Sudanese Pound (SDG) has continued its downward trend against international currencies. Prices on the parallel market are soaring.

Khartoum street traders told Radio Dabanga that buying a US Dollar costs SDG 147, and a Euro SDG 152. They attribute the rise in the exchange rate to the high demand for hard currency.

By contrast, the daily middle US Dollar rate per Dollar is currently SDG 55.1375 as quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan.

On Monday, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the World Food Programme (WFP) signed an agreement to import 200,000 tons of wheat to Sudan.

Hamid Nuru, Director of the WFP office in Sudan said the agreement is strategically beneficial for Sudan because it ensures the continuous supply of wheat.

He explained that the Sudanese government will repay the amount to the UN agency in local currency. This enables the Central Bank of Sudan to retain more than more than $50 million in hard currency needed to fix the currency rate and buy other strategic commodities from abroad.

More news from Radio Dabanga:

Sudan peace talks resume via video                                 

April 20 – 2020 KHARTOUM / JUBA Peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North faction under the leadership of Malik Agar (SPLM-N Agar) began on Sunday …

Sudan anti-graft authority seizes 390 plots of prime Khartoum real estate

April 19 – 2020 KHARTOUM Sudan’s Anti-Corruption Committee has confiscated 390 properties – collectively 248,894 square metres – in some of the most prestigious neighbourhoods of Khartoum, that were registered under …

No new coronavirus cases in Sudan, PM sacks governor of Khartoum

April 17 – 2020 KHARTOUM For two days in a row, no new coronavirus cases were recorded in the country. Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok dismissed the governor of Khartoum on Thursday. Three of the 32 confirmed patients …

Image of Khartoum vigil during Sudan revolution named World Press Photo of the Year 2020

April 16 – 2020 AMSTERDAM An image by Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba* of a young man, illuminated by mobile phones, reciting protest poetry while demonstrators chant slogans calling for civilian …

Man detained in Sudan’s Blue Nile for Facebook post

April 16 – 2020 KAMPALA On April 9, members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s main government militia, detained an activist in Ed Damazin, capital of Blue Nile state, for two days because he criticised their commander …

Sudan raises minimum wage by 700%

April 16 – 2020 KHARTOUM On Wednesday, the Sudanese Ministry of Finance raised the minimum wage from SDG 425 to SDG 3,000, the largest increase in the history of the Civil Service in the country. Economists criticise …

Rebel alliance rejects ‘matrix’ and appointment of civilian governors

April 15 – 2020 JUBA / KHARTOUM The Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebel alliance rejects the government matrix that details priorities and responsibilities for the transitional period. This matrix was agreed upon …

Four dead, two children abducted in Abyei ‘militia’ attack

April 14 – 2020 ABYEI Four people were killed, two children abducted, and one person is missing after an attack on Monday by ‘militiamen’, that destroyed 60 homes in Mabouk village, 25 km southeast of Abyei in the disputed …

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