Hundreds of Sudanese workers protest over 'economic collapse'

Hundreds of white collar workers on the front line of protests in the capital Khartoum say the ruling elite and military rulers have proven their incompetence in handling the Sudanese economy.

In al-Mogran, the business district in the western part of the Sudanese capital, workers from various companies gathered on Thursday outside the central bank following allegations that the army had attacked its employees.

Protesters told media outlets that the ongoing crisis has exposed the regime's inability in the economic filed.

"This crisis has exposed the regime's inability in the economic field and its policy of tinkering," Youssef Abdelrahim, an official at the ministry of finance and economic planning, told AFP.

Protesters behind him chanted and motorists honked their horns in support as they drove by.

"Citizens have completely lost confidence in the state," Abdelrahim said.

Abdelrazek Amanallah, a banker, was also strongly critical of economic situation.

"There is no more money in the banks. Everything went into the pockets of the 'kizan'," he said, referring to elements accused of seizing the country's wealth in the aftermath of the 1989 coup that brought Omar al- Bashir to power.

"They destroyed the country through corruption, they stole its wealth: oil, gas, gold, everything," Amanallah added.

Salwa Mohamed, the civil servant at the ministry of finance and economic planning, also denounced the military for wasting money on "tribal wars".

"The money has gone into conflicts in the south or in Darfur. It has never been used to develop the country, hospitals, education," she said

"For 30 years our economy has suffered. We have never really made any progress. Bashir was a soldier and those who lead us are still soldiers," Salwa said. "We want competent civilians to take over this country."

Protesters also gathered at the site of a sit-in outside the military’s headquarters in Khartoum.

A Press TV correspondent said at least one person was killed and several others injured during a series of violent clashes between the army and angry protesters at the site.

Earlier, the Sudanese Professionals’ Association (SPA) called a nationwide strike for Tuesday and Wednesday. It called on people to go to work but abstain from any activity and then head to various marches and sit-ins across the country.

PressTV-General strike starts in Sudan

Sudanese people launch a two-day nationwide strike to step up pressure on the military to transfer power to a civilian authority.

Last month, Sudan’s military announced that it had unseated Bashir and later imprisoned him. It then set up the Transitional Military Council (TMC) to rule the country and promised to hand over power after elections.

But protests have continued, with people demanding that more civilians be on the council than military figures during a transition period.

The military and protest leaders have held several rounds of talks since the army overthrew Bashir on April 11.

The SPA and the TMC have been holding talks for several weeks. The protest group has articulated a set of demands, including a 15-member council consisting of eight civilian-appointed members and seven military-appointed members.

The SPA called the strike after failing to achieve a breakthrough in the talks with the TMC.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk