Sudan president vows rural development in new attempt to appease protesters

Sudan’s president has promised to bring development to rural areas as he holds rallies in villages and towns in an attempt to soothe public dissent and head off weeks of angry protests over deteriorating living conditions in the African country.

Addressing hundreds of villagers in three rallies in North Kurdufan State on Sunday, Omar al-Bashir pledged access to drinking water, electricity and health care, among other services.

The East African country, particularly Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman, has been the scene of demonstrations since December last year, when the government decided to triple the price of bread.

The protesters blame the president for the country’s economic problems, calling on him to step down.

The violent protests — which are viewed as the biggest threat to Bashir’s 30-year rule — have so far led to the deaths of 30 people, according to official figures. Human Rights Watch has, however, put the number of protest-related fatalities at over 50.

Sudan’s inflation is currently running at 70 percent, while the Sudanese pound has steeply plunged in value under Bashir.

Sudan police teargas anti-govt. protesters

Sudanese police have used teargas against anti-government protesters.

At the first rally, Bashir vowed access to clean drinking water in rural areas “across Sudan.”

The speech followed the inauguration of a 340-kilometre (210 miles) highway linking North Kordofan to Omdurman.

“Building such a road in present economic conditions is not an easy thing to achieve,” he said among villagers and supporters, who were clapping, cheering and whistling.

“Along this road we will bring electricity to boost the region’s growth,” he added.

Delivering a speech at another rally, Bashir urged the Sudanese youth to contribute to the country’s development.

“The youth, for whom we have built universities, have to be ready to continue with the mission of building a new Sudan,” he said.

By nightfall, Sudan’s president addressed a crowd of supporters, including students, in the capital of North Kordofan, al-Obeid, where a hospital has been renovated.

“Patients often go to England, India or Jordan for surgeries, but now we can do them at al-Obeid,” he said.

The embattled president’s attempts over the past weeks to rally appease the protesters have so far failed, with the organizers calling for more protests over the next few days.

Bashir rejects calls for resignation from anti-government protesters, and has time and again said only elections can determine who should lead the country.

He says, “There’s only one road to power and that is through the ballot box. The Sudanese people will decide in 2020 who will govern them.”

Bashir is planning to run for a third term in office in next year’s elections.

Rights groups say more than 1,000 people have been arrested since the protests began, including opposition leaders, activists and journalists as well as demonstrators.