Protests erupt in eastern Sudan over soaring prices, economic crisis

September 20, 2026 (GEDAREF) — Scores of demonstrators took to the streets in the eastern Sudanese city of Gedaref on Sunday to protest worsening living conditions and skyrocketing food prices, as the local currency continues to tumble.

Sudan’s markets have seen persistent price increases for staple commodities and fresh produce in recent months, eroding purchasing power and leaving residents struggling to afford daily essentials.

Protesters blocked the main road in Gedaref’s Al-Tadamon neighbourhood with burning tyres and chanted slogans against the deteriorating economic situation, witnesses said.

“Three loaves of bread now cost 1,000 Sudanese pounds, and bakeries are manipulating weights with no government oversight,” Hassan Ali, a local resident, told Sudan Tribune. “A basic salad plate with three tomatoes, a cucumber, and some arugula has reached 10,000 pounds.”

The local pro-democracy Resistance Committees urged demonstrators to keep the protests peaceful and avoid damaging public or private property.

“The public taking to the streets over living conditions reflects widespread anger and an inability to meet daily survival needs,” the grassroots group said in a statement, defending the right to peaceful assembly.

The group cautioned security forces against using violence, arrests, or infiltrating marches to manufacture pretexts for crackdowns, stressing that the demonstrations are driven strictly by economic hardship and the right to basic livelihoods.