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Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announces in parliament that the government had decided to raise taxation and remove fuel subsidies 'step by step,' as well as axing hundreds of positions in the federal and state governments on June 18. (Ebrahim Hamid/AFP/GettyImages)
Protests erupted in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum after the government unveiled new austerity measures to overcome the country’s economic crisis.
Anti-regime protesters clashed with police Tuesday after the cuts were announced by President Omar al-Bashir.
Bashir said the government will raise taxes and will remove fuel subsidies in Sudan, one of the poorest nations in the world, the Sudan Tribune reported. Bashir also said he will shrink the size of his government, relieving many Cabinet ministers of their duties and merging ministries together.
More than100 demonstrators blocked a road in Khartoum and clashed with police, saying “no to inflation” and “the people want to overthrow the regime,” a witness told Reuters.
Police attempted to disperse Tuesday’s protests with batons and tear gas, just as they had Sunday and Monday, the witness said.
The opposition Popular Congress Party also called for street demonstrations against Bashir’s cuts, while Kamal Omar Abdel Salam, the party’s secretary for political affairs, said the unrest is a sign of things to come.
“These are the signs of a revolution,” he said, according to All Africa, adding, “This is a popular revolt to overthrow the regime.”
Many Sudanese have already been hit hard by high inflation and food prices, as well as the loss of oil revenue after South Sudan split from Sudan last year.
During Bashir’s rule over the past two decades, many Sudanese have also had to deal with hardships due to years of armed conflict, trade sanctions, corruption, and mismanagement.
