♦ Sudan: This week’s news in brief ♦

A compact weekly digest of Dabanga Sudan's news highlights from Darfur and Sudan

♦ Historic salary hike sees prices soar in Sudan

May 26 – 2020 KHARTOUM Prices of commodities soared and transportation tariffs doubled across Sudan during the past days. The increases are largely attributed to the recent dramatic increase in salaries in the country.

In April, the Ministry of Finance announced a rise in minimum wages from SDG 425 to SDG 3,000, to be implemented in May. The salaries of civil servants would go up with an average of 569 per cent – the largest increase in the history of the civil service in the country.

On Monday, the Central Bank of Sudan issued SDG 200 banknotes, while the price of a gallon of petrol jumped from SDG 28 to SDG 128. A gallon of diesel no longer costs SDG 17 but SDG 103. Transport tariffs doubled.

Sudanese economist Ahmed Hamid warned already in March that the government’s plan to increase wages would lead to the rise in prices, which in turn would hike the inflation rates.

The International Monetary Fund predicted in its country report on Sudan earlier this year that the Sudanese economy would continue its downward spiral unless the government implements decisive financial reforms.

While regime change has created a window of opportunity for fundamental reforms to address major macro imbalances and lay the groundwork for inclusive growth, the challenges facing the new government are daunting, the IMF stated.

♦ Abdallah Al Bashir in Khartoum hospital with ‘suspected Covid-19’

May 28 – 2020 KHARTOUM The brother of deposed president Omar Al Bashir and six former members of the deposed regime who are being held in Khartoum prisons, have been transferred to hospitals in the capital.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Public Prosecutor confirmed that Ali Osman Taha, former Foreign Affairs Minister and First Vice President, Abdelrahim Hussein, former Minister of Interior, Defence, and Governor of Khartoum, and Ahmed Haroun, former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Governor of North Kordofan, are being treated for Covid-19.

The suspected cases include Abdallah Al Bashir, brother of the ousted president, and businessman Salah Idris, whose factory was bombed by American cruise missiles in August 1998.

Leaders of the Popular Congress Party Ali El Haj and Ibrahim El Sanousi were taken to hospitals in the capital because of chronic conditions.

Samples have been taken from two other imprisoned members of the former regime, and it is expected that their results will appear today or tomorrow. The rest of the officials refused to have samples taken.

The Public Prosecutor stated that all figures of the former regime in prison are receiving health care according to the protocols.

More news from Radio Dabanga:

Ethiopia: “No need for hostility with Sudan after border incident”

June 1 – 2020 ADDIS ABABA The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday regarding the “Ethiopian-Sudan border incident” on May 28 that “there is no …

PM Hamdok laments ‘partisan politics’ in Sudan

May 31 – 2020 KHARTOUM Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok claims that “partisan politics has been a major obstacle that faces the transitional government”. The PM stated …

High mortality rates in North Darfur capital partly due to coronavirus

May 29 – 2020 KHARTOUM / EL FASHER / EL OBEID / SHAMBATA / EL GEDAREF A third of the increased mortality rate in the North Darfur capital El Fasher has been caused by the …

Sudan, UN sign counter-terrorism travel MoU

May 28 – 2020 NEW YORK The United Nations Office to Combat Terrorism and the Sudanese government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in an online ceremony …

Unprecedented mortality rates in Sudan

May 27 – 2020 KHARTOUM / EL OBEID / KASSALA / EL FASHER Activists published a video taken at Hamed El Nil Cemetery in Omdurman that shows 15 bodies being buried …

El Burhan: 'Unamid mission in Darfur will end in October'

May 27 – 2020 KHARTOUM / WASHINGTON / NEW YORK Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, chairman of the Sovereign Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese army, …

Hemeti defends Sudan’s RSF as ‘protectors of the people’

May 26 – 2020 KHARTOUM The Deputy Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’, who is also commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), …

Man ‘killed for being Nuba’ in Sudan’s South Kordofan

May 26 – 2020 KADUGLI On Thursday last week, a man was killed by armed men wearing uniforms of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) near the South Kordofan capital of Kadugli, …

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