Demonstrations in Sudan and the closure of main roads in Khartoum, in protest against the lifting of fuel subsidies

Protesters closed a number of main roads in the Sudanese capital (Khartoum), yesterday, Thursday, in protest against the government’s decision to end fuel subsidies; Which led to an increase in its prices.

Sudan ended fuel subsidies last Tuesday, as part of economic reforms backed by the International Monetary Fund, which doubled prices amid a deep economic crisis. Read also Betrayal dominates Sudan’s revolutionaries after 3 years of protests.. Is the revolution still burning? A new collapse of the Sudanese currency and the dollar is approaching the 500-pound barrier Foreign Affairs: Sudan’s new government faces old problems… Darfur is bleeding again

Gasoline prices rose from 150 Sudanese pounds to 290 pounds per liter, while the price of diesel rose by about 128 percent, from 125 pounds to 285 pounds.

The

Sudanese Professionals Association, a major player in the popular uprising that led to the overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir, said on its Facebook page that lifting fuel subsidies “is a step that confirms that this authority does not care about the citizen and his suffering.”

He added that he “calls on all revolutionaries and revolutionary forces to go out now and daily to the streets to resist and bring down these unfair decisions.”

In addition to Khartoum, other Sudanese cities witnessed similar protests against the deteriorating economic conditions in the country. The demonstrators accused the transitional government headed by Abdullah Hamdok of failing to rule the country.

Prices had doubled in October, and last year there were several demonstrations against the high cost of living.

In response to the demands of the International Monetary Fund, the Sudanese government, which has spent about a billion dollars on fuel subsidies annually, took this step to focus on rebuilding the economy.

Since the fall of former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 under pressure from the street after 30 years of rule, Sudan has been going through a deep economic crisis.

In the queue at a fuel station in Khartoum, many customers expressed their opposition to the government’s decision.

The economic crisis was the reason for the outbreak of popular protests, which led to the fall of Al-Bashir in April 2019.

The transitional government committed two years ago to reforming the country’s economy, which is undermined by a persistent shortage of foreign exchange and inflation, which exceeded 360 percent in April.