Khartoum panics over fuel shortage fearsBy REEM ABBAS in Khartoum | Friday, April 13   2012 at  13:44

The impact of current hostilities between Sudan and South Sudan are becoming manifest in Khartoum with residents panicking over possible fuel crisis.

Vehicle owners and operators formed a bee line at petrol stations Friday, to replenish their supplies ahead of envisaged shortage.

However, the government said that Sudan had enough oil to cover its needs for months to come, adding that there were functioning oil fields inside the country other than Heglig, which South Sudan had taken control of.

The oilfields of Heglig produce about half of Sudan's total supply.

The Ministry of Petroleum said that Sudan had 10,000 tones of gasoline in storage and had taken all measures to cope with a war scenario.

Similarly, the Governor of Khartoum State, Mr Abdel-Rahman Al-Khider, has asked mosque officials (imams) to use Friday sermons to reassure civilians that their welfare would be guaranteed despite the conflict.

Meanwhile, Sudan Government has accused the opposition parties and movements of masterminding the long lines at petrol stations to create panic, by urging their members to queue at the retail outlets.

Vice-President Al-Haj Adam told the opposition parties that" they will always find petroleum available even if they want to drink it or use it to burn themselves".

South Sudan announced Thursday that it had shut down oil production in Heglig, while Khartoum said it had sufficient oil supplies for its citizens.