Searching for solutions
Bloomberg report that Jibril Ibrahim, the leader of the Justice and Equality Movement, “a rebel group with Islamist origins” was named Sudan’s finance minister.
Ibrahim said he was committed to working with all of Sudan’s people and international partners to rejuvenate the economy. In comments on Twitter, he pledged to resolve current shortages of fuel, bread and affordable medicine.
9/2/2021: Sudan Tribune - Hamdok forms Sudan’s second transitional cabinet
Sudan Tribune report on Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s cabinet reshuffle, noting that Five ministers kept their positions in the new cabinet: Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim, Minister of Justice Nasr al-Din Abdelbari, Minister of Water Yasir Abbas, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasr al-Din Mufreh, and the Minister of Higher Education Intisar Saghairon.
Hamdok said the new Cabinet will prioritise economic issues, implementation of the peace agreement, transitional justice and reforming in the state’s civil and military institutions.
Hamdok added that the Agency for International Development has expressed willingness to invest $ 1.7 billion in Sudan, and that his government plans to inject over $ 300 million in the petroleum sector to double production, alongside allocating $260 million to develop the electricity sector, investing in the agriculture sector, particularly irrigated projects such as Al-Jazirah, Al-Rahad and Al-Suki.
Reuters’ feature piece reports on pressure facing Sudan’s new cabinet to devalue the currency in order to gain debt relief and international financial support, and thereby support the prospects of civilian rule. Currency reform delays have been attributed to fear of public reaction, leftist resistance to IMF-led reforms, and the search for a buffer of foreign reserves.
Sudan’s donors and lenders say unifying the exchange rate would not trigger significant further pressure on the currency or inflation since almost all transactions are already carried out at black market rates. Sudan is printing less money, which should ease inflationary pressure and has made progress on other benchmarks including beginning to publicly list details of state-owned enterprises, they say.
However, the delay in exchange rate reform is withholding $400 million in aid and World Bank pre-arrears clearance grants.
Ruth Michaelson explores how Sudan’s path to democracy is complicated by the Rapid Support Forces militia’s (RSF) dominance of Sudan’s gold industry via Al Gunade corporation.
Montaser Ibrahim, an RSF human rights consultant who “illustrates the RSF’s hints of reform and change,” labels the RSF as champions of minority rights, and RSF commander Himedti as a “challenge against political elites.” Ibrahim maintained that the security sector cannot be excluded from the democratic transition.
Michaelson notes that Al Gunade remains in operation despite attempts by Sudanese authorities to dissolve mining companies linked to Omar al-Bashir’s regime.
Michaelson also notes that there are “few safeguards in place to prevent the RSF and Al Gunade operating illegally,” citing the lack of transparency in Sudan’s gold industry,