By DAWUD Aisha
Demonstrations, which began on December 19 in the city of Atbara, quickly spread across the country, including to the capital Khartoum, as its president returns from a surprise visit to Syria.
The trigger of the protests was the rise in bread prices and possibly the president's visit to his Syrian counterpart, but underlying these protests is long-standing public discontent over the economic and political policies of Bashir's regime.
The Sudanese Professionals Association, Trade Unions, students, journalists, medical practitioners among others abandon duties and took to the street calling for a regime change amidst killings, arrest and torture from the state security as rallies are been dispatched and state of emergency ensured. The protests are backed by opposition groups but political analysts say they are being driven by deep-rooted anger at nearly three decades of poor governance under Mr Al Bashir.
Sudan is facing an acute foreign exchange crisis and inflation is at 70 per cent, leading to shortages of bread and fuel and a steady increase in the cost of essentials. Sudan's parliament on Sunday passed a budget for 2019 that increases spending by 39 per cent and guarantees no new taxes or removal of subsidies on items such as wheat, fuel and electricity. The budget includes pay rises for public-sector workers and an increase in the number of families covered by social insurance.
Cases received at hospitals over the past week have shown many gunshot wounds to the head, neck and chest. Peaceful protesters are being targeted to be killed Despite the brutal crackdown on protesters, the Sudanese government has continued to enjoy support from neighbouring Arab states including Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, based on press statement.
Al-Bashir took power in 1989 via a coup while the country was experiencing a civil war. The war officially ended in 2005, but other conflicts broke out, including spliting away of South Sudan with three-quarters of its oil output in 2011. This was a major blow to the country's revenue. The lifting up of the 20 year trade sanctions of US in October 2017 couldn't salvage the situation.
Despite the expected political fallout with the Gulf States, Al-Bashir visited Syria, this must have been prompted by a number of factors. These include the annoyance that despite promises of investment, none of Sudan’s Gulf allies, with the exception of Qatar, have kept their word at a time when the economic crisis in the country is deepening. The recent announcement by Saudi Arabia to form an alliance to control the Red Sea has produced the clearest signal yet that Riyadh intends to monopolise the Sea’s mineral wealth explored jointly with Sudan until recently, and establish a security corridor to prevent the entry of “unauthorised” vessels, naval or merchant. The move is seen in Khartoum as a decision designed clearly to allow Sudan to develop the Red Sea area for tourist purposes but curtail any ambition it may have to establish a military base on its coast with its Russian and Turkish allies.
Thus, it was no accident that Russia facilitated the meeting between the two leaders as it seeks to legitimise its role in Syria as a peacemaker rather than a protagonist. Flying the first Arab leader since the start of the war to acknowledge Al-Assad’s presidency in a Russian military aircraft from Khartoum to Damascus was an extremely significant move. This not only puts Sudan in breach of official Arab League policy, but also in the vanguard of a changing attitude towards the Syrian President.
To that end, the two sides have signed 14 cooperation agreements in different areas, including oil, minerals and banking. The agreements include a concession for the Russian company Rus Geology to explore for oil in Sudan and the geological mapping of the Jebel Moya area in North Kordofan State. Unconfirmed reports claim that Russia has deposited £1.26 billion in Sudan’s Central Bank in an attempt to stabilise the country’s currency, which has plummeted by 85 per cent against the US dollar.
However, Al Bashir was welcomed back from Syria with series of protests, running to its second week possibly due to the trip and over rising costs, removal of subsidy among other economic hardships, including soaring inflation and limits on bank withdrawals.
According to AFP news agency, the ruling National Congress Party said it understands the protesters concerns, but the party also blamed the unrest on Israel and "left-wing parties that hope to destabilise the state".