Sudan raises cooking gas prices as currency plunges

May 6, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Several Sudanese states have increased cooking gas prices due to the sharp decline in the Sudanese pound’s value against foreign currencies.

The pound’s official exchange rate has reached 1,325 to the dollar, while the black market rate surpasses 1,600. This devaluation has impacted all imported goods, including cooking gas.

The Khartoum state government officially raised the price of a 12.5-litre cylinder to 23,600 pounds (around $17). State media reported the Economic Emergency Committee’s efforts to minimize the impact on citizens, but the fluctuating currency value hindered these efforts.

However, residents in Karari, north of Omdurman, reported black market prices exceeding 35,000 pounds, with significant difficulty finding gas cylinders.

The ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has further exacerbated the situation. Oil installations in Khartoum State, including the Al-Shajara gas warehouses, were damaged by fire and theft. Additionally, the Rapid Support Forces’ control over the Khartoum Oil Refinery has rendered it inoperable. Both sides accuse each other of destroying the refinery with heavy weaponry.

Similar price hikes were implemented in Nile River State, with cylinder prices ranging from 26,000 to 26,400 pounds in various cities.

Port Sudan, the temporary capital, saw prices rise to 20,000 pounds, while the northern state reached 28,000 pounds. Authorities in Gedaref also raised prices to 28,000 pounds per cylinder.

In North Darfur, the Rapid Support Forces’ siege on El Fasher and the closure of trade routes from Libya, Chad, and the Al-Dabba-Melit crossing have doubled the price of petroleum products, including cooking gas. Prices reached 37,000 pounds per cylinder in February before disappearing entirely in the past two months due to halted commercial activity.