Citizens derail Governor’s rally in eastern Sudan

Governor Mohamed Taher Eila of Red Sea State in eastern Sudan had to cut his speech short and leave the podium during a rally in Haya locality on Monday. Angry citizens in the audience began to shout at him, chanting slogans such as “this Governor will not govern, leave, leave”.”A group of people tried to demolish the podium, before security forces entered and stopped them,” one of the protesters told Radio Dabanga. “The security precautionarily detained people, who were released again after the Governor left the locality.” On Saturday protesters intercepted a parade in the Deim Arab district in Port Sudan, throwing stones at the Governor. Police used tear gas to disperse them. During the past weeks Red Sea State’s capital Port Sudan witnessed various demonstrations against the policies of the Governor and the deteriorating living conditions. People are particularly angry about plans to sell four historical schools in the city’s centre. The plots are to be used for business investment by the Red Sea State Government. File photo: Demonstrators in Khartoum, protesting against the lifting of fuel subsidies, September 2013 Related: Protests in Port Sudan against sale of schools (19 May 2014) Students arrested in Khartoum, flogged in Port Sudan (14 May 2014) ’Million signatures campaign’ to remove governor, protests in eastern Sudan (6 May 2014)