Tensions are high on the streets of many cities across the country following the government’s decision last week to end fuel subsidies. A measure that is part of a tightening that has been initiated since the fall of Omar al-Bashir, to get into the nails that the IMF set.
One month after the Paris Conference, the transitional authorities continue to follow international financial standards for Sudanese debt relief. But these reforms are going very badly, while the population is already being hit hard by the economic crisis,
Overnight, the price of a liter of petrol at the pump almost doubled. Sudden inflation that affected everyday Sudanese. Rising prices for basic products, increased costs for bus tickets, in addition to power outages, petrol or drug shortages that have already been relentless for several months.
Occasional demonstrations have therefore erupted throughout Khartoum. Dozens, sometimes hundreds of people gather spontaneously, day and night, raising barricades and lighting tires. Some want the reform to be withdrawn, others demand that the government fall.
Economy Minister Gibril Ibrahim confirmed that he would continue on the path to economic liberalization, given that it was “the only possible way to put the country on the right track”. For the Communist Party and the Association of Sudanese Professionals, this is an unfair measure which means taking directly out of the pockets of the citizens without questioning the weight of the army in the state budget.
On Saturday, June 12, the police abolished many gatherings. Several resistance committees stopped demanding calm and temporary calls for demonstrations. They condemn the presence of many supporters of Omar al-Bashir, who would take advantage of the situation to create chaos. If the situation escalates, many fear an authoritarian reaction from the authorities on the ground.
