President Bashir claims protests were a ploy to overthrow his regime
Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir says last month’s violent protests over fuel prices were an attempt to overthrow his government.
“They brought agents, thieves and hijackers, and they said Khartoum will be overthrown.
“But Khartoum could not be overthrown because it was guarded by God,” Bashir said in a live speech on national radio on Wednesday. He however failed to specify whom he was referring to when he said “they.”
He went on to say his government was working towards stabilizing the economy and that a major economic conference would be held in November to find solutions to the country’s financial problems.
The Sudanese government is trying to restore peace to the regions where violence erupted during the recent protests. Thousands of people took to the streets of Khartoum last month calling for the downfall of Bashir’s regime. This came after the government eliminated subsidies on fuel and other basic commodities causing fuel prices to rise by about 60 percent.
Observers say the protests were a reaction to two years of rising fuel prices brought about by the separation of South Sudan. The protests point to an urgent need for reforms in Sudan’s governance.
The protests began in the South of Khartoum on September 23rd and quickly spread to other parts of the country. Sudanese activists claim 200 people were shot dead by security agencies during the week-long rallies which have been described as the worst urban unrest in the 24 years since Bashir has been president.
The government insists the death toll was 70 and continues to deny responsibility for the shootings. Officials claim the killings were carried out by unknown gun men.