Sudan protesters block crucial oil pipelines: Oil minister

Sudan'soilministersaid Saturdayprotestersblocked two keyoilpipelinesin PortSudan, the main seaport on the Red Sea, over a peace deal with rebel groups.

Warning of "an extremely grave situation",OilMinisterGadein Ali Obeid told AFP one pipeline transportsoilexports from SouthSudanwhile the other provideSudanwith crude imports.

"Entrances and exits at the port's exports terminal have been completely shuttered" since early Saturday, he said.

Last year, several rebel groups signed a landmark accord withSudan's transitional government which came to power shortly after the April 2019 ouster of long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

Beja tribes people inSudan's impoverished east where PortSudanis located have criticised the fragile peace deal saying it does not represent them.

PortSudanis the country's main seaport and a vital trade hub for its crippled economy dependent on exports.

The Khartoum government receives around $25 for every barrel ofoilsold from SouthSudan, according to official figures.

SouthSudanproduces around 162,000 barrels a day. It is transported viapipelinesto PortSudanand then shipped to global markets.

Protests against the October 2020 deal have rocked eastSudansince last week.

On September 17, demonstrators impeded access to the docks at PortSudan.

At the time, protest leader Sayed Abuamnah told AFP demonstrators had also blocked "the main container andoilexport terminals".

On Friday, demonstrators blocked the entrance to the airport and a bridge linking Kassala State in the east with the rest of the country.

The unrest comes asSudangrapples with deep economic woes left in the wake of Bashir's ouster, whose three-decade iron-fisted rule was marked by prolonged US sanctions.

The demonstrations also come a week after the administration of embattled PrimeMinisterAbdalla Hamdok said it had thwarted a failed coup attempt.