Sudanese opposition calls for fourth protest against prices hike
February 5, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Opposition Unionist Alliance (OUA) has launched a call for a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday against the austerity measures and deteriorating living conditions.
The OUA is an umbrella including eight unionist parties that split from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by Mohamed Osman al-Merghani after the latter joined the government.
The OUA call for the peaceful march is the fourth in a series of peaceful marches organized by the opposition since the mid of January in Khartoum, Omdurman and Khartoum North.
In a statement on Sunday, the OUA called on the opposition and the Sudanese to gather in a number of squares at Al-Giraif Sharq neighbourhood to protest against the price hikes.
The opposition forces have announced support for the OUA call and urged their followers and the Sudanese to join the peaceful protests.
For his part, the chairman of the opposition Broad National Front (BNF) and deputy chairman of the DUP Ali Mahmoud Hassanein has praised the OUA call for protests urging the residents of Khartoum to participate in the peaceful march.
Since the release of the 2018 budget last month, peaceful protests erupted in a number of Sudanese states leading to the killing of a high school student in West Darfur State and detention of dozens of opposition activists across the country.
In September 2013, demonstrations broke out in several Sudanese states following the government’s decision to lift fuel subsidies. Rights groups said that at least 200 people were killed but the government put the death toll at 85.
(ST)