Citizens in Sudan’s Sennar state on Monday complained of a scarcities of bread and cooking gas and the rise in prices of consumer goods. This comes after subsidies were lifted on cooking gas.

Many citizens told Radio Tamazuj that they struggle to pay for the goods they need at the new prices, citing the price of a cylinder of gas at 100 SDG.

The citizens further complained of shortage of bread in all towns of Sennar state which forced them to spend a long time in queues to get bread.

Public transportation fares also rose last month in Khartoum after the lifting of state fuel subsidies

“People are often queueing for days to buy a refilled LPG cylinder. Even at the black market, where the price increased to more than SDG100, it is hard to get one,” said one citizen of the Sudanese capital.

Petroleum Minister Mohamed Zayed Awad has defended the move saying that US sanctions imposed on the government's banking system and the scarcity of foreign currency makes it difficult to import the gas.

The Sudanese government has been concerned about the possibility of popular protests over lifting of subsidies. The government amended the penalty for rioters to up to five years in jail in anticipation of unrest related to the lifting of fuel subsidies.