Anti-dam protests gather steam

Demonstrators in Northern and Gedaref state say they intend to move to KhartoumThe anti-dam movement in the Northern and Gedaref states of Sudan announced on Thursday that they would move their protests to Khartoum.The move came in order to raise a voice against “the elimination of civilization” from the two states where construction of dams on the Nile river have caused displacement of people and harm to the environment.Ahmed Abdel Fattah, a member of the movement who has been affected by the building of the Merowe dam, told Radio Dabanga that if the government in Khartoum doesn’t take enough measures to stop the ongoing construction of dams, the anti-dam movement will not hesitate to “internationalize” its agenda.The Merowe dam has caused flooding of Emre area which has left many Sudanese people displaced and submerged 35 mosques, 40 schools and a number of hospitals, said Ahmed Abdel Fattah. He further demanded that the proposed dams in Kajbar, Dal and Al Shree areas be abandoned.Protests against inflationOn the other hand, demonstrators gathered in South Kordofan’s Muglad area to protest against inflation and high prices of commodities on Thursday.The police used batons and tear gas to disperse crowds and the National Intelligence and Security Service arrested 10 youngsters and students from the rallies. Protesters had been chanting slogans demanding justice from the government.