It is expected that the closure of the central Khartoum commercial area, which contains most of the public transport stations, before the Shawwal crescent sighting, will lead to heavy losses for small sellers and shop owners.
Khartoum: AlTaghyeer
On Saturday, the security committee in the capital, Khartoum, closed off the Mak Nimr Bridge and the central Khartoum area, which is located near the presidential palace.
The move coincides with calls by protest leaders to commemorate the third anniversary of what is infamously remembered as the “Khartoum Massacre”.
In a meeting chaired by the governor of Khartoum, Ahmed Othman Hamza, the committee banned gathering in the capital’s commercial center.
The move will exacerbate the suffering of small time merchants and sellers who were anticipating the Eid holidays to regain momentum lost due to inflation and soaring prices.
Citizens who wish to shop will therefore not be able to go to the markets in central Khartoum.
The suffering extends to citizens wishing to spend the Eid al-Fitr holiday outside the capital, which would require them to move between Khartoum and Bahri.
Dozens of protesters met their demise the day before Eid al-Fitr three years ago, in front of the gates of the Army’s General Command, at the hands of military forces.
