Cleric in Sudan Urges Calm amid Protests Over Hiked Food Prices

The economic desperation ignited by sudden rise in prices of food commodities angered young people and the business community in Sudan and thus pushed them on the roads, Fr. Taban told ACI Africa.

He explained, “The situation has pushed different Sudanese in the country to walk to the streets because the prices of things in the market continue to go higher, salaries have continued to remain where they were, nothing new, no work and no production.”

“Salaries are very low for people who are working with private NGOs or private organizations, prices of things continue to soar and this is the situation Sudanese people are on the streets with the hope of attracting the international attention or politicians within the country,” Fr. Taban, a native of South Sudan’s Wau Diocese, said.

He went on to explain, “I know situations where things haven’t been easy in Sudan, leaving from hand to mouth but the God who created you cannot just abandon you. Suffering will certainly end and the Sudanese will be okay; God will ease the burden, the suffering of our people.”

Demonstrations in Sudan have been reported in Ed Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile State, against a 250 percent increase in bread prices.

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Protesters said that the price of a subsidized loaf of bread in Ed Damazin increased from SDG 2 to SDG 5, while the transportation tariff rose from SDG 30 to SDG 100.

In a process that started in July 2019 after mass protests forced the military to remove Omar al-Bashir from power, Sudan is transitioning to democracy. A Sovereign Council is currently governing the country.

On 3 December 2020, the formation of the Council of Transitional Period Partners took place. This was to implement the peace deal, which the Sudanese government and armed groups signed in South Sudan’s capital, Juba 3 October 2020.

Meanwhile, February 4 had been set for the completion of the sovereign council and for the formation of the cabinet. These events have reportedly been postponed to early next week, with Star Tribute reporting the appointment of “three representatives of armed rebel groups to top posts in the country’s interim government as part of the peace deal.”

“Today supposed to be the day for the government to announce the ministerial posts,” Fr. Taban told ACI Africa February 4.

According to the SDB Cleric, the Country’s Prime Minister had made a proposal that the country cannot go on unless some international bodies are brought along to help with the running of the country.

“It seems the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is coming in to help address the situation and some sections of the Sudanese people were not in favour of that because they argue that this could be another colonialism,” Fr. Taban said.

He added in reference to those opposed to the possible help from UNMIS, “They are not for the idea that somebody from outside will come to help in ruling or running the country and that provokes many people also to go to the streets.”

“There are some Sudanese in favour of the idea of having UNMIS in the country because they say it is a sign that the local government has failed and they need a kind of help from outside to put the country in check,” Fr. Taban told ACI Africa February 3.