Strike, protests in Sudan’s capital

Employees and workers of the Export Development Bank in Sudan’s capital embarked on an open-ended strike on Monday, in protest against their poor salaries and the non-payment of financial benefits. Over the weekend, dozens of residents of El Hamadab in southern Khartoum demonstrated against the sale of residential plots in the district. Tarek Ibrahim El Sheikh, head of the Workers’ Union branch of the Export Development Bank, stated to Radio Dabanga that 100 percent of the employees are striking. “The strike will continue until our demands are granted. We want an increase of our salaries up to the level of remunerations at other banks, an upgrade of the bank employees’ career opportunities, and payment of all dues.” Sale of land In southern Khartoum, dozens of residents of El Hamadab district went to the streets on Sunday to protest against the local authorities’ sale of residential plots of land, granted earlier to members of the Sudan Armed Forces living in the area. The demonstrators burned tires and blocked some of the main streets in El Hamadab, rejecting the residential investment schemes, and demanding the return of the land to the population of the district. On Saturday, the police dispersed similar demonstrations with tear gas. File photo: El Hamadab during earlier protests, 15 June 2014