KHARTOUM (AA) – Protests broke out on Friday in Sudan's largest city of Omdurman for the fifth day against government austerity measures.
Eyewitnesses said hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the city to demand the downfall of President Omar al-Bashir's regime.
Sudanese police blocked the main road to the Hijra mosque in Omdurman, west of Khartoum State, according to the witnesses.
Police prevented worshippers from reaching the mosque, which was the epicenter of anti-government protests last year.
Mass protests engulfed Sudan following a government decision on Sunday to lift state subsidies on fuel and several other commodities as part of a controversial economic reform program. It also raised taxes on a number of consumer goods.
The move sent the prices of hydrocarbons and consumer commodities skyrocketing, instantly triggering demonstrations.
While activists say more than 70 people have been killed in the protests, Sudanese authorities put the toll at 29.
by Mohamed Al-Khatem
