September 30, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil Idriss ordered extra supplies of petroleum products to service stations on Wednesday as acute fuel shortages gripped Khartoum and regional states, triggering long queues and new price increases.

The supply crunch has driven a surge in black market fuel trade across government-held areas, with parallel market petrol fetching around 60,000 Sudanese pounds per gallon, well above the official pump rate of roughly 37,000 pounds.

Diesel prices on the street jumped to between 65,000 and 70,000 pounds per gallon, compared with 45,000 pounds at designated stations, motorists said.

State authorities also raised official retail prices. Gezira State increased petrol to 8,950 pounds per litre starting Oct. 1, while Red Sea State raised pump rates to 7,748 pounds per litre from 7,064 pounds.

Inspecting pumps in Khartoum alongside energy officials, Idriss said the war-torn country was now fighting an “economic war” and ordered distributors to expedite deliveries to clear roadside gridlock.

He also instructed commercial banks to fix technical glitches on mobile banking apps, which drivers rely on to pay for fuel amid severe cash shortages.

Market analysts trace the fuel crisis to the long-running shutdown of the al-Jaili refinery north of Khartoum, a foreign-exchange shortage to finance imports, and high global energy prices.

Import restrictions, including a central bank rule requiring importers to deposit the equivalent of 200 kilograms of gold to back transactions, have concentrated supply in a few companies, further constraining volumes.