Thursday, December 20, 2018

Sudan Discontent

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.

The protests were triggered after bread prices increased from one Sudanese pound ($0.02) to three Sudanese pounds ($0.063).

The protests 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.


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 percent 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.

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