Workers begin strike at Port Sudan
Explosion leaves three dead, several injured in Egypt
WORKERS
at Port Sudan’s southern container terminal went on strike to protest against a deal with Philippine port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI), port employees and a union official said.
Witnesses in Port Sudan said work at the terminal had been suspended since the morning because of the strike, which was timed to coincide with a visit by the Sudanese prime minister aimed at resolving opposition to the deal.
“Today with the prime minister’s visit all the workers in the container terminal in Port Sudan’s port carried out a full strike,” said Othman Taher, head of an opposition trade union. “They numbered 1,800 workers.”
“Our message and our demand to the government is to refuse the privatization and cancel the contract with the Philippine company to protect the country’s resources.”
On Jan. 3 ICTSI subsidiary ICTSI Middle East DMCC signed a 20-year concession deal with the Sea Ports Corporation of Sudan (SPC) to operate, manage and develop the South Port Container Terminal at Port Sudan, a disclosure from the company said.
AT least three people were killed and several injured when an explosive device carried by a militant exploded in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, according to a statement from the interior ministry.
The dead include the militant and two policemen who were pursuing him when the device exploded.
The blast occurred in the city’s historic centre close to the Al Azhar mosque and left several people wounded, two security sources said.
According to the ministry, security forces were pursuing the man as part of the search for the perpetrator of an attempted attack against a police patrol in western Cairo on Friday.
After catching the suspect in Cairo’s ancient Islamic district close to the Al Azhar mosque, “one of the explosive devices in his possession exploded, causing the death of the terrorist and the martyrdom of a police officer from national security and an officer from Cairo investigations (department)”, the statement said.