HUGE protests have erupted against the rising cost of living in several Sudanese towns, with crowds torching the office of the ruling National Congress Party in the northern city of Atbara.

Riots broke out in Port Sudan on the Red Sea as well as in Barbar and Nohoud yesterday. Video clips released today appeared to show police and security forces passively watching the protests rather than taking action to crush them. Previous demonstrations have met with savage police violence.

Some attributed the uprisings to yesterday’s return to Sudan of former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi, who was ousted by current President Omar al-Bashir in a military coup in 1989 that saw trade unions, opposition parties and all “non-religious institutions” banned. Mr Mahdi had returned from a year’s exile in Egypt.