Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir said on Monday that he would not be stampeded into leaving office by the ongoing protest in the country.
Addressing his supports gathered in Niyala, the capital of South Darfur state, Al-Bashir said protests would not lead to a regime change.
“Demonstrations will not change the government,” he told the supporters. Al-Bashir’s address comes a day after police had broken up an anti-government demonstration there.
Violent protests have rocked Sudan since December last year. They were triggered after bread prices increased from one Sudanese pound ($0.02) to three Sudanese pounds ($0.063).
Bread prices in Sudan are said to be astronomically higher as a result of the country’s economic challenges.
The prices of bread have more than tripled since the start of 2018. It was caused by the government decision to stop importing wheat from overseas.
Calls for Bashir’s exit
The protesters are calling for the resignation of Al-Bashir due to current economic challenges.
“There’s only one road to power and that is through the ballot box. The Sudanese people will decide in 2020 who will govern them,” he said as he plans to run for the presidency for the third time in elections to be held in 2020.
Al-Bashir who days earlier blamed what he calls external conspirators for ongoing anti-government protests continued without mincing words that “Sudan has many enemies and those enemies have few people among us who don’t want stability and security.
We will not allow anyone to destroy our homeland by looting and burning our properties.”
The ongoing protests have resulted in over 22 deaths. Analysts say this is biggest threat to the veteran leader’s three decades rule.
More than 800 protesters have been arrested across Sudan since the unrest began, officials say.
Al-Bashir came to power in 1989 when he led a group of officers in a military coup that ousted a democratically elected government.
Since then, he has been elected three times as President in elections that have been under scrutiny for corruption.
Source: Africafeeds.com
