SUDAN – Violence and protests: seven countries declare a state of emergency
Seven Sudanese states have declared a state of emergency. They are Sennar, South Darfur, West Darfur, North Darfur and East Darfur, as well as the states of North Kordofan and West Kordofan, which denounced the deterioration of living conditions, the rise of inflation and lack of subsistence food.
In recent days, local media reported that a series of protests have taken place in various parts of Sudan. Armed robberies, lootings, property invasions, theft of money against citizens have been denounced by the governor of the State of Sennar, El Mahi Mohamed Suleiman, who indicated that the members were responsible for the abuses from the previous Sudanese regime of Omar Al Bashir. According to local sources, the governor indicated that the security services are currently monitoring the movements and meetings of these rebels and that he has ordered all the security organs to declare a state of maximum alert and put in safety the markets and public places of the State of Sennar.
Local media indicate that the whole week was characterized by episodes of violence and disorder. High school students from El Obeid, in North Kordofan, took to the streets to demonstrate against the high cost of living and the transport crisis. The protests led to episodes of violence in which buses were set on fire and market stalls were ransacked.
The governor of North Darfur, Mohamed Arabi, specified that the violent events attributed to the rebels did not concern only North Darfur. There have been lootings in Nyala, capital of South Darfur, south-east of the Grand Market and near the railroad in Ed Daein, in East Darfur. Abdallah Ishag Mohamed, Advisor to the governor of East Darfur, denounced the arrest of dozens of people found in possession of stolen goods. (RD/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 18/2/2021)
