Sudan steps up arrests to quell fuel price protests

KHARTOUM: Sudanese security agents seized an opposition party leader from his home early Wednesday, the latest in a wave of arrests aimed at stifling protests over fuel price increases, his party said.
At least nine other opposition leaders have been detained over the past two days as the government seeks to prevent a repeat of two months of protests in 2013 that required a deadly crackdown to crush.
Sudanese Congress Party leader Omar Al-Digair was taken from his home in Omdurman — the capital's twin city — at 2am (7am Wednesday Malaysia), party spokesman Mohamed al-Arabi told AFP.
Four other party members, including deputy leader Khaled Omar, were already in custody.
Arabi said security agents also raided the party's headquarters on Tuesday evening and arrested five student activists.
The party had joined the Communist Party and the Baath Party in calling for protests over subsidy cuts that triggered a 30% spike in the price of petrol and diesel.
Groups of protesters have staged small rallies in parts of Khartoum and in the town of Medani south of the capital, but they were quickly dispersed by anti-riot police.
Similar fuel subsidy cuts triggered the deadly unrest of 2013 which drew widespread international criticism.
The government has been forced to progressively reduce fuel subsidies since 2011 when South Sudan seceded and took with it nearly three-quarters of the formerly united country's oil reserves.
Government officials and leaders of the ruling National Congress Party were not immediately available for comment on the latest arrests. — AFP