Sudan: Mobs, looting ransack Gadaref city

KHARTOUM, Sudan

The city of Gadaref in eastern Sudan has witnessed mobs and looting during protests taking place on Thursday.

Protester and local Ahmed Alim told Anadolu Agency the central market suffered widespread looting by mobs participating in the protests organized by the ruling coalition political parties of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) aiming to oust the governor of Gadaref state.

Another witness said the protests were large, raising slogans calling for the ousting of the governor.

"This governor is part of the old regime of ousted President Omer Al-Bashir and all his policies showed that he is against the revolution, so we want the central government to fire him immediately," he said.

For its part, the FFC claimed in a press release extended to Anadolu Agency on Thursday that the state government of Gadaref was standing by as mobs and chaos took the market.

"The entire authorities in Gadaref state including the security organs and police and other secret forces of the old regime and the old ruling party were standing behind the violence taking place in the city today, in order to sabotage the march that was already announced by Gadaref people to oust the governor of the state," the state alleged.

The governor and authorities of Gadaref were not available for comment.

The appointment of the governors of the states in Sudan has been delayed by the Sovereign Council and the Council of Ministers in order to pave the way for the participation of the rebel movement in the transitional government after the conclusion of the peace talks that began last week between the rebels and the government.

Sudan is being ruled under a power-sharing deal between Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the opposition FFC coalition.

Bashir was removed from power by the military in April after months of protests against his 30-year rule.