KHARTOUM (Halbeeg News) – Protesters in Sudan have set fire to the ruling party’s offices as part of a series of demonstrations against rising bread prices and shortages of fuel, both subsidised by the government.
Images circulating on social media showed the ruling National Conference Party’s offices in Atbara, some 320km north of the capital Khartoum, being set on fire, while other fires were scattered across the streets at the centre of the protests.
Local media reported that the protests were triggered after bread prices increased from one Sudanese pound ($0.02) to three Sudanese pounds ($0.063).
The demonstrations, which also broke out in the city of Port Sudan, the capital of Red Sea state, saw demonstrators call for the “overthrow of the regime”, a slogan that was common during the Arab Spring uprisings that swept through the region in 2011.
Hatem al-Wassilah, the governor of the Nile River state, told Sudania 24 TV that a state of emergency had been declared in Atbara and a curfew imposed
The protests, which also broke out in the city of Port Sudan, the capital of Red Sea state, saw demonstrators call for the “overthrow of the regime”, a slogan that was common during the Arab Spring uprisings that swept through the region in 2011.
“The protests began peacefully and then turned to violence and vandalism. We declared a state of emergency and a curfew and the closure of schools in the city,” he said.
Bread prices have more than tripled since the start of this year after the government decided to stop importing wheat from overseas.
Officials had hoped the move would create competition between private companies importing wheat, and therefore act as a check on price rises – but a number of bakeries have since stopped production, citing a lack of flour.
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