Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday pledged to bolster
rural development, as he seeks to face down anti-government
demonstrations that have rocked cities and villages.
The
veteran leader has been on a charm offensive with rallies across the
country in a bid to head off weeks of protests seen as the biggest
threat to his 30-year rule.
Addressing hundreds of
villagers in North Kordofan State at a televised event he promised to
bring clean drinking water to rural areas "across Sudan" and open a new
hospital in the region.
The speech came after he inaugurated a new 340km highway linking North Kordofan to Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum.
Men on camels
"Building
such a road in present economic conditions is not an easy thing to
achieve," said President Bashir, after being escorted to the stage by
dozens of men on camels.
"Along this road we will bring electricity to boost the region's growth."
Demonstrations
erupted in Sudan in December after a government decision to triple the
price of bread unleashed frustrations at years of deteriorating living
conditions and growing hardship.
Wave of discontent
Officials
say 30 people have died in protest-related violence, while rights group
Human Rights Watch says at least 51 have been killed.
President
Bashir's attempts to rally support have so far failed to halt the wave
of discontent, with the group leading the demonstrations calling for
fresh protests over the next few days starting Sunday night.
President
Bashir and other senior Sudanese officials have repeatedly said that
the government can be changed only through elections.
The
leader, who came to power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989, is
considering running for a third elected presidential term in polls due
next year.
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