Sudan: At least eight killed during nationwide anti-government protests /update 4

Event

At least eight people were killed in widespread anti-government protests on December 18-20. Hundreds of protesters gathered in major urban centers, notably in Atbara (Nile River state), Al-Qadarif (Al-Qadarif state), Port Sudan (Red Sea state), and Khartoum, to demand increased government transparency and the implementation of measures against inflation. According to local reports, the state of emergency has been declared in Al-Qadarif, where one person was killed, and in Atbara, where a curfew remains in effect from 18:00 to 06:00 (local time). In Khartoum, roughly 150 people reportedly marched in the city center before security forces dispersed the crowd. Protests and associated violence are likely to persist  in the coming days and weeks.

Context

Cities throughout Sudan, including Atbara, Khartoum, Kassala, and Port Sudan, have been experiencing bread, fuel, and cash shortages. The current shortages come as the economy continues to suffer from surging inflation, which reached 68.93 percent in November. Various protests have taken place in Sudanese cities since early January due to price hikes, notably in Khartoum, Khartoum North, and Omdurman. The government has begun to implement a number of broad-based economic reforms in line with recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in an attempt to stabilize the economy and foster growth. For example, on October 7, the government ordered the devaluation of the Sudanese pound compared to the US dollar, the third such devaluation since early 2018; the exchange rate is now SDG 47.6 to USD 1, compared to SDG 6.7 to USD 1 in 2017.

Advice

Individuals in the abovementioned cities in Sudan are advised to monitor the situation, obey all instructions issued by the local authorities (including curfew orders), and avoid all protests as a precaution.