♦ This week’s news in brief ♦

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

Sudanese Pound continues to fall, food prices rising again

January 18 – 2020 KHARTOUM / EL FASHER The Dollar exchange rate witnessed an unprecedented rise against the Sudanese Pound on Friday. Forex dealers reported on Friday that the Dollar rate reached SDG 95, while the Euro traded for SDG 104.34, and the Saudi Riyal for SDG 25.6. Traders attributed the increases to a rise in the demand, and continuing shortages of supply.

People in Khartoum and El Fasher told Radio Dabanga that the prices of basic consumer goods are soaring again. In Khartoum, the price of a 50-kg sack of sugar kilo jumped from SDG 2,100 to SDG 2,250 ($50), while in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, 50 kg of sugar now costs SDG 2,500. A piece of the cheapest soap costs SDG 25 ($ 0.56). In comparison: An eighth-grade teacher earns SDG 1,268 ($ 28).

The sources also reported renewed shortages of bread and fuel in the country.

The Minister of Industry and Trade, Madani Abbas, instructed the establishment of “a permanent mechanism to monitor the internal markets”. The control includes the movement of prices, commercial activities, and the quality of goods and scales in all states of the country, in addition to regular inspection of the markets.

Two months ago, UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock called on the international community to act faster to scale up humanitarian support to Sudan.

More than 8.5 million people require aid to survive, and millions of others struggle to make ends meet, he said.

♦  Eastern Sudan conference boycotted by key stakeholders

January 15 – 2020 KHARTOUM Several key stakeholders boycotted the eastern Sudan peace conference in Khartoum yesterday. They say that too many supporters of the defunct Al Bashir regime are present.

The consultative conference aims to reach unified visions on eastern Sudan issues, that are to be discussed during the peace talks in the South Sudanese capital Juba.

According to a leading member of the Forces for Freedom and Change in Kassala, the governors of the three eastern Sudanese states monopolised the selection of participants to the conference. “Most of the participants are native administration leaders and academics affiliated with the former regime.”

The Red Sea University withdrew from the conference, because of “the absence of the real stakeholders”.

The governor of Kassala said in his opening speech at the conference that he hopes the eastern Sudan track will serve as a model for the other peace negotiation tracks.

Yet, the governor of Red Sea state requested the organisers to take the boycott into consideration. “If we want sustainable peace, we must not impose ceilings that lead to limited agreements,” he warned.
 

More news from Radio Dabanga:

Public feed hungry Khartoum Zoo lions
January 20 – 2020 KHARTOUM The resistance committees in Khartoum fed hungry lions in El Gurashi Zoo in Khartoum yesterday as part of the Hanabneho (We shall build it) …

Juba: Conflicting views on progress of Sudan peace talks
January 19 – 2020 JUBA The government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) confirmed that there is great progress in the ongoing peace talks in Juba, the capital of South Sudan …

Op-ed: Sudan’s revolution runs aground in Darfur
January 19 – 2020 EL FASHER By Tom Gardner. Sudan’s revolution, which last year ended the three-decade rule of Omar al-Bashir, is yet to be fully felt in troubled ..

El Sheikh: Sudan’s security apparatus behind attacks on protesters
January 17 – 2020 KHARTOUM The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) have described the rebellion of the security forces’ Operations Authority earlier this week as a coup plot …

Committee to start investigating security forces mutiny in Sudan
January 17 – 2020 KHARTOUM Yesterday, the members of the fact-finding committee that will investigate the rebellion of security forces on Tuesday, were sworn-in by the …

Darfur displaced demand protection from armed criminals
January 17 – 2020 HASAHEISA / HAMIDIYA / EL SALAM Displaced community leaders in Darfur have decried the proposed withdrawals of the Unamid peace-keeping Mission in Darfur …

Sudanese economists: Cut expenses on defence, not subsidies
January 15 – 2020 KHARTOUM Sudanese financial experts are concerned about the impact of the lifting of subsidies of basic commodities on the country's economy. …

Sudan’s RSF militia denies involvement in Libya
January 15 – 2020 KHARTOUM The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the militia established under the ousted Al Bashir regime and is now part of the Sudan Armed Forces, denies accusations  ..

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