The World : Sudanese Protest Prices

Thousands of Sudanese demonstrators, some demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sadek Mahdi, took to the streets of Khartoum to protest state-ordered price increases, and the African country’s biggest trade union called a nationwide strike starting today. Similar unrest four years ago weakened the authoritarian government of President Jaafar Numeiri, and he was ousted by his defense minister in 1985. The government this week increased the price of sugar by 600% and cigarettes by 50%, saying the money is needed to finance wage boosts announced two days earlier.