Thousands of Sudanese have reportedly swamped streets in several towns to protest what they say is an excruciating economic hardship.
Bread prices in the North Africa country are said to be astronomically higher as a result of the country’s economic challenges.
A mob in the northern city of Atbara reportedly burned the offices of the ruling party.
At least one person has been killed in the protests, reports Aljazeera. Citing a member of parliament, the Qatari based news network said the death came in the city of Gadarif, where a state of emergency has been declared due to the protests.
A state of emergency has also been declared in Atbara, about 320km north of the capital Khartoum, after protesters set the ruling National Conference Party offices on fire.
Protests also spread to several other cities, including Khartoum and Port Sudan. Police reportedly fired tear gas in the capital at hundreds of protesters.
The protests were said to have been triggered after bread prices increased from one Sudanese pound ($0.02) to three Sudanese pounds ($0.063).
Demonstrators are calling for the “overthrow of the regime”, a slogan that was common during the Arab Spring uprisings that swept through the region in 2011.
Scenes from anti-Gov demonstrations in the city of Atbara in north east Sudan triggered by bread crisis. pic.twitter.com/lJ9pysJfP7
— Wasil Ali (@wasilalitaha) December 19, 2018
Hatem al-Wassilah, the governor of the Nile River state, told Sudania 24 TV that a curfew will be imposed in Atbara from 6 pm local time (16:00 GMT) to 6 am (4:00 GMT).
“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 is quoted as saying by Aljazeera.
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.
This forced the government to increase flour subsidies by 40 per cent in November.
In October, Sudan sharply devalued its currency from 29 pounds to the dollar to 47.5 after a body of banks and money changers set the country’s exchange rate.
The move led to further price increases and a liquidity crunch, while the gap between the official and black market rates has continued to widen.
Source: Africafeeds.com with additional information from Aljazeera
