Sudanese protesters call on President Omar al-Bashir to resign

 

Agency
Monday 30 September 2013 18:12 BST
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Sudanese protesters are calling on the President to resign
Sudanese protesters are calling on the President to resign

About 1,000 people staged another protest in Khartoum on Sunday to demand President Omar al-Bashir resign, a witness has said.

Last week, the government cut back fuel subsidies, which sparked the worst unrest in central Sudan in years. The official death toll stands at 33, but Sudanese rights activists and some diplomats said more than 100 people were killed during clashes with security forces. This was despite the fact that the government has moved to raise salaries to soften the impact of unpopular austerity measures.

The turnout for Sunday’s protest was smaller than last week’s rallies as people went back to work and life largely returned to normal. Some 3,000 people gathered on Sunday to pay condolences to the family of a pharmacist shot and killed during a protest on Friday.

About 1,000 joined a protest afterwards, blocking a road in Khartoum’s Burri district and shouting “The people want to overthrow the regime” and “Freedom, freedom”, a witness said. Police and security agents watched but did not intervene.

Activists also reported a protest in Port Sudan, the country’s biggest port on the Red Sea. The unrest started last Monday after the government said it was cutting fuel subsidies again, causing pump prices to nearly double.

Reuters

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