Iran Press/Africa: Sudanese officials on Thursday confirmed that at least eight people have been killed in protests that have swept across Sudan for a second consecutive day amid rising public anger over soaring prices and other economic woes.
Authorities declared a state of emergency in the eastern city of Gadarif, where six protesters died during clashes with riot police, Reuters reported.
Authorities also imposed a curfew on the city after protesters torched the headquarters of President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP).
"The protests began peacefully and then turned to violence and vandalism ... We declared a state of emergency and a curfew and the closure of schools in the city," Hatem al-Wassilah, the governor of the Nile River state said.
Residents said that the protests were triggered on Wednesday by a government decision to raise bread prices from one Sudanese pound ($0.02) to three Sudanese pounds ($0.063).
Sudanese Police on Thursday fired tear gas to break up a crowd of around 500 people in the capital, Khartoum, then chased them through back streets and made arrests, a witness said. 101/201
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