| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Horn |
| Sudan police fire tear gas to end protest over fuel subsidies |
| 2013-09-24 |
| [Al Ahram] Sudanese police fired tear gas on Monday to disperse hundreds of people protesting in the capital Khartoum against the lifting of petrol subsidies by veteran President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Bashir, in power since 1989, has avoided an "Arab spring" uprising of the sort that has unseated other rulers in the region but many in Sudan complain about soaring food prices, corruption, violent conflicts and high unemployment. The government almost doubled prices for fuel and cooking gas on Monday to bring its budget under control. The Arab African country lost three-quarters of its oil reserves - its main source of revenues and of dollars for food imports - when South Sudan became independent in 2011. Within hours of petrol stations adjusting their price displays, some 800 protesters gathered in the centre of Khartoum, shouting "No, No to price hikes". Others called on Bashir to resign, yelling "go, go". Police arrived, firing tear gas to disperse the crowd. Late on Sunday, Bashir held a televised news conference lasting two hours to defend his abolition of fuel subsidies. He promised to use much of the money saved to help the poor and increase salaries for civil servants. But many Sudanese have gorwn impatient with years of what they see as economic crises caused by mismanagement and U.S. trade sanctions. "The government ... has no idea of what people are going through. I am ready to join any protest against the lifting," said 41-year old Ahmed Iassan, an unemployed worker. |
| Posted by:Fred |