Page 4 - AfrOil Week 07 2020

AfrOil COMMENTARY AfrOil
Fuel shortages have spurred protests across Sudan (Photo: Radio Dabanga)
Signs of relief in Sudan
The country’s fuel crisis appears to have eased somewhat, following the government’s efforts to address problems
WHAT:
Of cials in Khartoum are working to x a pipeline blockage and improve fuel distribution.
WHY:
These concrete actions are a welcome contrast to previous reports of inactivity and uncertainty.
WHAT NEXT:
The transitional regime will still have to navigate the phase-out of fuel subsidies.
AT this time last week, Sudan looked to be head- ing towards crisis.
e fuel market was in shambles, with gaso- line and diesel in desperately short supply. Driv- ers queued up for miles outside lling stations in the hope of obtaining fuel through o cial channels, and many of them turned to the black market, paying exorbitant prices to fill their tanks. e shortages sparked new protests in Khartoum and other cities, where tensions were already high because of complaints about high food prices.
Over the last week, though, Sudan’s transi- tional government has been working diligently to address the fuel shortages. It has attempted to attack the problem at its root and to make plans for improving the distribution system in order to reduce the risk of further shortages.
Root causes
Conditions on the fuel market have been wors- ening for some time, and Sudanese o cials have been slow to look for a solution.
According to press reports, supplies ran short because of a blockage in the pipeline that pumps crude oil from elds in Kordofan State to the Khartoum oil re nery. e transitional
government did manage to identify the prob- lem, but it did not divulge much information about its plans to restore the pipe’s function again and resume deliveries to the re nery.
As a result, rumours began to circulate about the possibility that the line may have been sabotaged.
Over the weekend, though, Sudan’s Minis- try of Energy and Mining took steps to reverse course, adopting a more active approach towards repairs.
Local press agencies gave much of the credit for the turnaround to Hamid Suleiman Hamid, the undersecretary of the ministry. They reported that he made a visit to the site where the pipeline had been blocked and remained in the eld along with the teams of engineers and technicians working to nd a solution.
ey also highlighted the fact that he had been promoted to his post by Prime Minis- ter Abdalla Hamdok last October, a er being demoted and criticised by the previous regime for his insistence on reporting regulatory violations.
In contrast to previous events, Hamid also
kept journalists informed about the nature of
the problem. 
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w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m Week 07 19•February•2020