Dozens protest in Sudan as gov’t switches out banknotes
PORT SUDAN
Dozens of Sudanese demonstrated outside the seat of the army-backed government in Port Sudan to protest against its move to enact a partial currency swap.
The army-backed government had set a Dec. 30 deadline for residents of the six states under its control to swap old 500 and 1,000 Sudanese pound banknotes for new ones.
But as dozens protested outside government offices in the Red Sea port city on Dec. 31, Information Minister Khalid al-Aiser announced that residents would have until Jan. 6 to replace their old notes.
The value of the Sudanese pound has plummeted during 20 months of fighting between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, from 500 to the dollar in April 2023 to 2,500 to the dollar now.
The war has killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted more than 12 million and left no sector of the economy unscathed.
The army-backed government says the partial currency swap aims to "protect the national economy and combat criminal operations" by counterfeiters.
But the arrival of the Dec. 30 deadline paralysed transport and trade in Port Sudan, the country's main export outlet.
Bus drivers, petrol stations and store owners refused to accept the old banknotes, while banks had only limited supplies of the new notes, AFP correspondents reported.
Many Sudanese accused the administration of placing an extra burden on the war-weary and increasingly impoverished population.
Critics have also warned that the move risks adding an economic dimension to the divide between areas under army control and those held by the RSF.
