Student Killed During a Protest as Sudan Doubles Bread Prices

A high school student was left lifeless and a prominent opposition leader arrested during a protest over the hiking of bread price in Sudan.

The protest broke out on Saturday followed by another one on Sunday after the government announced that bread prices had been doubled as to eliminate subsidies in its 2018 budget.

In the south-eastern city of al-Damazin, police fired tear gas as about 400 demonstrators chanted “No, no to price rises!” Some people burned tyres, a local resident told media.

The removal of subsidies is part of a package of austerity measures as the country struggles in the face of inflation running at about 33%, and an acute shortage of hard currency that has sapped import activity.

The measures in Sudan have sparked sporadic public protests in the past few years.

Amnesty International says that up to 185 people may have been killed in 2013 when thousands took to the streets in demonstrations against fuel price increases.