Student killed in protests over price rising in West Darfur
January 7, 2018 (EL-GENEINA) – A student was killed and others wounded Sunday in a wave of mass protests that swept through West Darfur State capital, El-Geneina over commodity price hikes.
An official at West Darfur government told Sudan Tribune under the condition of anonymity that hundreds of students took to the streets of El-Geneina, accusing unnamed parties of mobilizing the students against the price hikes.
“The police and the Rapid Support Forces intervened to disperse the demonstration. There were casualties among the protesters. A high school student named Al-Zubayr Ibrahim Sekeran was killed and the authorities would investigate the incident” he said
In the same context, the minister of education in West Darfur State Bashir Adam Idris issued a decision to suspend primary and high schools study for one week.
However, West Darfur governor Fadl al-Mawla al-Haga had cancelled the decision of the education minister to suspend primary and high schools study.
He said they would investigate the killing of the student, saying the situation is now stable and the study will continue as normal.
Sudan Tribune has received names of some of the injured including the student Safa al-Tigani Khalil, police officer Abdel-Halim Salih, student, Azza Hamdan, worker Ibrahim Aboud and resident Isam Bashir Yahia.
DEMONSTRATIONS IN SOUTH DARFUR
Meanwhile, police dispersed limited student protests over the increase of bread price in South Darfur capital, Nyala.
Reliable sources said most of the bakeries have stopped production due to lack of flour, pointing the loaf of bread is being sold at two Sudanese pounds instead of one pound.
The police used tear gas and batons to disperse the protestors who set car tires on fire and closed three major streets leading to downtown Nyala for several hours.
An official source told Sudan Tribune that the protests were limited and didn’t require the use of excessive force against demonstrators.
However, he pointed out that the security organs are ready to deal with any contingency, stressing the state of readiness was raised to the maximum degree.
The Sudanese government on Friday increased the price of flour sack from 167 pounds to 450 pounds. Following what, bakeries raised the price of a loaf of bread from 50 cents to one pound.
The government decision triggered sporadic protests across the country particularly as it coincides with other measures that contribute to exacerbating the already harsh economic conditions.
(ST)