Hundreds of people took to the streets of Khartoum to protest the removal of gasoline and diesel subsidies in early June, causing fuel prices to double
Sudanese police used tear gas on Wednesday to disperse protesters in Khartoum. This was reported by the Al-Youm al-Tali news portal. Political and civic forces organised a march to the presidential palace to protest worsening economic conditions, according to the publication.
Hundreds of people took to the streets of Khartoum to protest against the removal of petrol and diesel subsidies in early June, which caused fuel prices to double. The removal of subsidies was one of the main conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to finance Sudanese reforms. The day before, the IMF approved a $2.5bn loan to Khartoum. Demonstrators are also demanding a speedy transfer of power in the country exclusively to civilian forces.
Meanwhile, the Committee for Empowerment, Fighting Corruption and Recovering Stolen Funds in Sudan said the protests were organised by supporters of the ousted regime of former president Omar al-Bashir. “They want to use the day to provoke chaos,” Al Arabiya TV quoted them as saying. According to the committee, police have detained 79 people on charges of rioting who attempted to use the June 30 date, the anniversary of Omar al-Bashir’s 1989 military coup to take power, to their advantage.
In April 2019, after months of protests amid Sudan’s dire economic situation, the army ousted 30-year-old al-Bashir from power and took control of the state, creating an interim Military Council, dissolving parliament and suspending the constitution. Opposition forces called for the formation of a civilian government and launched a strike against the Military Council, which repeatedly erupted into clashes and led to deaths.
Eventually in August that year, the Military Council and the country’s key opposition force, the Alliance for Freedom and Change, signed a Constitutional Declaration and a three-year transition agreement. These documents are considered to be the main legislative framework for the gradual transfer of power from the military to civilian forces. One of the key provisions of the documents was the establishment of a governing Sovereign Council made up of military and civilian representatives. The Military Council has been dissolved.
Over the past two years Sudan has failed to at least partially rectify the dire economic situation and stabilise the national currency. Khartoum is now relying on assistance from international financial institutions.