{{The streets of Khartoum on Sunday witnessed heightened security presence as gas stations updated their fuel prices to reflect today’s directives issued by the oil ministry by which all grades of gasoline saw a price increase.}}
While the measure was largely anticipated for months due to statements made by government officials on their intentions to cut fuel subsidies on the grounds that it is burdening the country’s finances, some gas stations asked for police assistance to restrain irate customers.
Security officers have also rounded up several opposition youth figures which included Sideeg Youssef (Sudan Communist Party); Mohamed Abdel-Moniem and Munzir Abul-Meaali (Arab Nasserite Unionist Party); Mohamed Hassan Boushi (Baath Party); Omer Dafalla (National Umma Party).
Furthermore, vehicles belonging to the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) were reportedly seen near the residence of National Consensus Forces (NCF) chairman Farouk Abu Essa while social media sites claimed that security agents stormed the home of Baath party leading figure Mohamed Diaa al-Deen.
Last year certain subsidies on food and fuel were partially lifted drawing rare but small anti-government demonstrations.
In Khartoum, the Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir held a two-hour press conference which he devoted primarily to defending the move to cut subsidies and reiterated his earlier arguments that most of these subsidies goes into the pockets of the wealthy population at the expense of the poor ones.
Bashir further asserted that some neighboring countries benefit from the subsidies as a result of smuggling adding that it is hard to control the borders to prevent that due to its length. He further said that some government officers allow the smuggling in return for bribes.
The Sudanese leader emphasized that the decision was made collectively by the government and rejected criticism directed at the Finance and National Economy Minister Ali Mahmood Abdel-Rasool on the assumption that he is behind this economic package.
He dismissed fears that this move will lead to an ‘Arab Spring’ in Sudan and noted that some people rushed to the market to buy goods and stock it at home fearing a big price increase.
But Bashir said that this is only temporary and that those who stocked goods at their home would seek to get rid of it later “at a loss”.
wirestory
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