Demonstrations in the eastern Sudanese city of Port Sudan were renewed hours after President Omar Al-Bashir delivered a speech to a pro-government labor group in the capital, where he pledged to raise salaries and accused his opponents of receiving instructions from abroad. Witnesses said hundreds of people took part in a peaceful demonstration in Port Sudan on the Red Sea, condemning the repression of freedoms and the deterioration of economic conditions, and demanding the departure of the ruling regime. They said that demonstrators gathered at the public transport station, then headed to the government’s secretariat to hand over a memorandum to the governor of the Red Sea region, calling for the withdrawal of Al-Bashir and his government, but the police fired tear gas, dispersing the protesters. In his speech prior to these protests, the Sudanese president addressed pro-government unions of trade, women and pensioners, in which he blamed those who left his government and accused the demonstrators of working for foreign countries and receiving instructions from their embassies. He went on to say that his country has been under economic siege for 21 years and treated as a state sponsor of terrorism without being condemned in a single terrorist incident. He added: “No country has not been affected by the blockade. We are under siege and war. We have lost the oil of the South, our first income. But Sudan remains steadfast.” Bashir acknowledged the poor economic conditions faced by the country, saying: “Yes, there is suffering and we are working to alleviate it.” “The Sudanese people deserve to live a dignified life. We want to solve their problems, especially in the public service,” he stated. The Sudanese president promised to increase salaries starting this January and to develop housing plans and practical funds to accommodate workers. For the first time, Bashir revealed that he came from a poor family and was the son of a laborer. He recounted that he worked during the holidays until he “broke a tooth” in a work accident. He stressed that he did not want to get his tooth repaired so that he would never forget poverty. “I was working during the holidays. We do not want someone to tell us about poverty and suffering because we have lived there, and we do not want anyone else to live the same conditions as we did,” he emphasized. The Sudanese president warned against groups that receive - as he said - support from foreign countries. “We will not meddle in our precious homeland with people who receive instructions from foreign countries, news agencies, or foreign intelligence", he affirmed. A group of 22 parties announced last Saturday dissolving their alliance with the government and siding with the people and the uprising. They condemned the killing of demonstrators and called for a new regime and a transitional government. Several cities and provinces are witnessing protests against the deteriorating economic situation, which led to the death of 19 people, including members of the regular forces and the injury of 219 citizens and 187 members of the regular forces, as announced on Thursday by Beshara Jumah Aror, Minister of Information, Communications and Information Technology, spokesman for the Sudanese government. The Sudanese opposition Al-Umma party said Tuesday that 45 people have been killed and 1,000 wounded since the protests began, while Amnesty International says 37 people died in the protests.