Ruling Party Leading Figure Criticizes Government Economic Policies
(Sudan Vision) The chairman of the Sudanese Workers’ Trade Unions Federation (SWTUF), Prof. Ibrahim Ghandour, has blamed the government for the price-hike, including the rising rate of exchange. He called for urgent corrective measures. Speaking to reporters yesterday, he said the price-hike and the rising exchange rate are unjustifiable. He anticipated the inflation rate will shoot up to threefold the present figure. He said inflation has reached 46.5%, and the exchange rate with the dollar exceeds SDG 6. “Why has the Ministry of Finance failed to realize its goals to bring the inflation rate down to 21% and the exchange rate to SDG 4.4?”, he wondered. Prof. Ghandour expects the inflation rate will increase to more than 70% by December 2013. He called for serious consideration of annual budgets that keep failing to reach their targets.
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Sudans’ Stalled Security Talks Moved to Addis Ababa
(Sudan Tribune, All Africa) Sudan and South Sudan decided on Monday to move their floundering security talks from Khartoum to Addis Ababa after their failure to strike a deal on the disarmament of Sudanese rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The joint political and security committee chaired by Sudanese and South Sudanese defense ministers held unsuccessful meetings in Juba and Khartoum over the implementation of the security arrangement protocol signed In Addis Ababa on 27 September. Since the first meeting last month in Juba, the parties agreed on the deployment of troops in the buffer zone in the disputed areas. Nyuon, at the time, told Sudan Tribune that Sudan wants the joint forces be deployed also on the border with South Kordofan and Blue Nile, stressing that this is not provided in the agreement. says they are not. The meeting with Mbeki will tackle this specific point, according to the source.
Further Reading: http://allafrica.com/stories/201212110896.html
Sudan Participates in African Caribbean – Pacific Summit
(Sudanese Radio) The Assistant of the President Jalal Yousif Addigir will head a delegation of the Sudan for the African Caribbean – Pacific Summit, scheduled during December 13-14 in Malabo, the capital Equatorial Guinea. Mr. Addigir will give Sudan address at the summit that will be held under the motto (Future of the African Caribbean – Pacific Grouping under the Global changes. the Opportunities and Challenges). The summit will discuss the issues of food security in Africa, the future of the development funding for the grouping states, efficiency of the trade support within the group. The summit will also review the future of the trade Development within the group and the trade relations between the European Union and the member states in the group (African Caribbean Pacific), including the Economic Partnership Agreements, besides rural development, food security in the group’s countries, climate change and sustainable development.
Read More: http://www.sudanradio.info/english/modules/news/index.php?storytopic=1
Omdurman campus dormitories ‘burned down’
(Radio Dabanga) Students and security agents supporting the National Congress Party (NCP) have clashed with protesters at the Omdurman Islamic University (OIU) and set fire to the university dormitories on Tuesday, 11 December, witnesses informed Radio Dabanga. Protests erupted at universities across Khartoum state after the bodies of four Darfuri students enrolled at GeziraUniversity were found in a waterway in Wad Madani last week. Eye-witness reports charge that the students were attacked by supporters of the NCP during a peaceful protest and were forced to retreat to the dormitories where they were beaten with sticks and batons. At least seven people were injured, the students added. Among the injured students are Ahmed Ali and Saleh Ahmed from South Darfur and Abubaker Ishaq from North Darfur.
Read More: http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/39587
Rebels say repulsed government attack on South Kordofan village
(Sudan Tribune) The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army North (SPLM/A-N) claimed on Tuesday that they defeated an attempt by government forces to wrestle control of a village in South Kordofan state, killing 27 soldiers and capturing 3 prisoners. A press release by the SPLM/A-N’s official spokesperson Arnu Ngutulu Lodi said that government forces supported by 10 tanks and 100 vehicles some of them mounted with heavy machine guns attempted on Monday to occupy Daldoko village northeast of the state’s provincial capital Kadugli. Fighting between the SPLM/A-N and Sudanese government forces in South Kordofan has recently intensified with the insurgents launching a number of mortar attacks on Kadugli. The rebels claim the government has also escalated its campaign of aerial bombardment in their areas.
Read More: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?iframe&page=imprimable&id_article=44827