Dozens protest in Sudan as govt switches out banknotes

Port Sudan, Sudan: Dozens of Sudanese demonstrated outside the seat of thegovernment in Port Sudan on Tuesday to protest against its move to enact a p...

Port Sudan, Sudan: Dozens of Sudanese demonstrated outside the seat of the government in Port Sudan on Tuesday to protest against its move to enact a partial currency swap.

The army-backed government had set a Monday deadline for residents of the six states under its control to swap old 500 and 1,000 Sudanese pound banknotes for new ones.

But as dozens protested outside government offices in the Red Sea port city on Tuesday, information minister Khalid al-Aiser announced that residents would have until January 6 to replace their old notes.

The value of the Sudanese pound has plummeted during 20 months of fighting between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, from 500 to the dollar in April 2023 to 2,500 to the dollar now.