Sudan official condemns ‘coup’ calls by opposition

KHARTOUM (AA) – A senior official in Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday condemned alleged calls by Sudan’s National Front for Change (NFC) for a “coup” against the regime of President Omar al-Bashir.</p> <p><br></p> <p>At a press conference organized by political parties on Wednesday, NCP Political Secretary Abdel-Rahman al-Khidir warned that such calls — if confirmed — threatened to “destroy state institutions”. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Al-Khidir said that the government was working to resolve Sudan’s economic crisis by distributing flour and fuel to the public, adding that the country’s foreign-currency crisis would be over “within weeks”.</p> <p><br></p> <p>On Tuesday, the NFC (an umbrella group of 22 political parties) and the Umma Party (led by Mubarak al-Fadil, a former deputy prime minister) both announced their intention to demand the appointment of a “transitional council” to temporarily run the country’s affairs.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Over the course of the past two weeks, demonstrations have rocked several Sudanese states amid mounting public frustration over rampant inflation and acute commodity shortages. </p> <p><br></p> <p>The authorities say that at least 19 people have been killed in the demonstrations, which kicked off in earnest in mid-December. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Opposition groups, for their part, have put the death toll at closer to 40. </p> <p><br></p> <p>The authorities have imposed a state of emergency in several parts of the country, while some government officials have accused Israel of conspiring with rebel groups to destabilize the country. </p> <p><br></p> <p>A nation of 40 million, Sudan has struggled to recover from the loss of three quarters of its oil production — its main source of foreign currency — following the secession of South Sudan in 2011.