SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Multiple sources – Sudan’s new government will face economic challenges

17/8/19: Multiple sources – Sudan’s new government will face economic challenges

• New York Times, by Declan Walsh

• Reuters, by Khalid Abdelaziz

 Multiple sources reported that the main challenge for Sudan’s new transitional government will be an economic crisis stemming from a shortage of foreign currency, as foreign investors and banks are put off by Sudan’s continued designation by the US as a state sponsor of terrorism.

 Mahmud Dirir, Ethiopian mediator in the military-civilian power-sharing negotiations, said that the next challenge will be lifting Sudan’s terror designation and large debts.

 The New York Times pointed to accusations of military corruption, with John Prendergast of the Sentry, an investigative group that tracks the proceeds of war crimes in Africa, saying that “the companies [the military] control are looting Sudan’s resources and budget for their personal enrichment.”

 Calling for international assistance to Sudan to be coupled with pressure for military reforms, Prendergast added: “if this this mafia network isn’t countered in some way, the prospects for peace and democracy are very dim indeed.”