25 December 2018•Update: 26 December 2018
By Husameldin Badawi Ahmed Almayl,Safiye Karabacak
KHARTOUM, Sudan
The West's embargo has caused economic troubles in Sudan, the country’s president said on Tuesday.
Sudanese state TV reported that Omar al-Bashir, who addressed residents of a village in the Gezira state near Khartoum, said that there are saboteurs and agents, who aimed to impede development and progress of Sudan.
Al-Bashir stated that traitors, agents and mercenaries ruin Sudanese state's institutions. "Sudan has economic difficulties due to the West’s embargo," he said.
Sudanese security forces dispersed a mass protest near the presidential palace in capital Khartoum on Tuesday, according to eyewitnesses.
Thousands of protesters marched from Al-Qasr street to the presidency headquarters demanding President Omar al-Bashir to step down from power, the witnesses said.
Police used teargas to disperse the demonstrators.
Dozens of protesters were reportedly arrested.
On Monday, al-Bashir, who has been in power since 1989, pledged to carry out economic reforms amid street protests over price hikes and a shortage of basic commodities.
At least eight people have been reportedly killed since the protests began in several Sudanese states last week.
A nation of 40 million people, Sudan has struggled to recover from the loss of three quarters of its oil output – its main source of foreign currency – when South Sudan seceded in 2011.
The U.S. started to impose economic embargo on Sudan in 1997 for terror abet reason but pledged to lift it in January.
