Sudan on a three-day general strike after cutting subsidies

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Sudanese authorities have arrested dozens of activists and members of opposition parties over allegations they engineered a call for a general strike against subsidy cuts that have sparked price hikes.

Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman was quoted by the state radio as saying that the detainees will face charges of “attempt to incite riots.”

On the second day of a three-day campaign for a general strike, streets in the capital, Khartoum, were deserted, classrooms were empty and many shops were closed.

Authorities also banned Monday’s edition of al-Jareeda, one of Sudan’s largest dailies, and shut down the private-owned Omdurman TV network.

While the government justifies the lifting of subsidies as a crucial step for economic reforms, the opposition accuses the government of longtime autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir of failure.