Press Release
The Government’s Concern for the Livelihood of the People
Means Increasing the Prices and Creating Poverty in Sudan
(Translated)

The Finance Ministry, after the assent of the ministerial council, under the leadership of the President Omar Bashir and his attendants, on Thursday evening the 3^rd of Safar AH, issued a decree to raise fuel prices. The price of a litre of benzene reached 6.17 pounds making a gallon would be 27.5 pounds representing an increase greater than 30%. The price of a litre of gasoline reached 4.11 pounds making the price of a gallon 18.5 pounds which is an increase in excess of 32%. The decree was applied practically in the fuel stations on the same Thursday night following the issuing of it at a time when the increase in the wages of workers has increased by 20%, which had been announced has not been received by the workers since three months until now!

It has become blatantly clear, that this regime, when it says something, then it does the opposite of that. So peace means war, security means frightening the people, unity means fragmenting the land, being concerned for the livelihood of the people according to the government conception represents increasing the prices, placing difficulties upon the people and creating poverty. There has been a lot of talk from the regime in past days about concern for the livelihood and well-being of the people and they gave glad tidings of that in the recommendations of the national dialogue and its results. It was also discussed in parliament, which we do not see having any problem in placing difficulties upon the people whom they claim to represent whilst in truth they only represent themselves. This government follows the government and they are its delegates and not the delegates of the Ummah and it is for that reason that they cannot be depended upon. Then at an unexpected time the government’s face changes and they impose upon the people the opposite of what they claim. So the prices of petrol fuels increase which directly leads to the increased cost of transportation and delivery, which then in turn raises the prices of all of the goods and services, like wildfire. The people still remember how the increase in fuel prices in September 2013 led to an increase in prices, making the life of the people more difficult and a hell that is unbearable, whilst at the same time the officials enjoy the wealth of the Ummah unashamedly.

We in Hizb ut Tahrir in the Wilayah of Sudan warn the regime of a revolution of the hungry just as we warn them of the anger of Al-Jabbar (Allah Ta’Aalaa) who is not pleased with the injustice inflicted upon His servants and placing hardships upon them. Ai’sha the mother of the believers, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) saying in this very house: «اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاشْقُقْ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَرَفَقَ بِهِمْ فَارْفُقْ بِهِ »“O Allah, whoever is entrusted over an affair of my Ummah, and places hardship upon them, then place hardship upon him and whoever is entrusted over an affair of my Ummah and deals kindly with them, then deal kindly with him” Muslim.

O People of Sudan:

There is no salvation for you rather no salvation for the entire Islamic Ummah, except by the system that looks after the citizens properly and treats the people with kindness. A system that pleases the Lord of mankind and deals justly amongst them by the Ahkam (rulings) of Islam. A system that if the people are hungry in it, the rulers were hungry before them, and if the people are satisfied, the rulers were satisfied after them. It is the great system of Islam; the Khilafah "Caliphate" upon the methodology of the Prophethood by which you will find honour and might in the life of this world and be successful in the Hereafter. ﴿لِمِثْلِ هَذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَامِلُونَ﴾  “And for the like of that let those who work, work” [As-Safaat: 61]

Ibrahim Othman (Abu Khalil)
Official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Wilayah Sudan