KHARTOUM (Reuters) &#8211; Sudan’s amended budget for 2020 includes a currency adjustment programmme beginning in August that aims to reach a full currency float in two years, a government source told Reuters on Wednesday.



The country’s currency recently fell to a record low of 150 Sudanese pounds to the dollar on the black market, compared with 55 at the official rate. The black market rate was 140 pounds to the dollar on Wednesday.



A little over a year after a popular uprising that put Sudan on a shaky path towards democracy, its economy is at risk of freefall, hammered by an inflation rate of more than 100% and frequent shortages of bread and medicine.



The private sector will be allowed to import unlimited quantities of fuel to address shortages, which will lead to a “rationalization” of its price, Acting Finance Minister Hiba Mohamed Ali said, referring to a removal of subsidies to help meet the reform demands of international donors.



The government source said the sector would be allowed to import fuel using dollars at the free market price in August.



Fuel imports would be secured through a previously announced trade financing fund, Ali said. The fund has a $1 billion portfolio to be used for imports, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said in a speech on Wednesday. Resolving the country’s trade imbalance is a priority for the government, Hamdok said.



In an exception to the “rationalization” drive, subsidized fuel could still be sold to productive sectors like agriculture.



The reforms come as part of an adjusted 2020 budget to be passed by Sudan’s cabinet and sovereign council, acting in a parliamentary capacity, within days, the government source said.



Ali said a budget adjustment was necessary to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which had cut public revenue by 40%.



Khartoum is in desperate need of international financial help to reorganise its economy, and the government is printing money to subsidise bread, fuel and electricity. The finance minister said the government would continue to subsidize bread, medicine and cooking oil as part of the 2020 budget.



Foreign donor nations in June pledged $1.8 billion at a conference hosted by Germany to help Sudan ease an economic crisis hampering its transition towards democracy. Ali said that $484.7 million of that money has been set aside for a cash transfer programme to support poor families.

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Sudan 2020 budget will adjust currency, aim for float in 2 years -government source

KHARTOUM (Reuters) &#8211; Sudan will permit non-Muslims to consume alcohol and strengthen women’s rights, including banning female genital mutilation (FGM), its justice minister said late on Saturday, in a reversal of almost four decades of hardline Islamist policies



About 3% of Sudan’s population is non-Muslim, according to the United Nations.



Alcoholic drinks have been banned since former President Jaafar Nimeiri introduced Islamic law in 1983, throwing bottles of whisky into the Nile in the capital Khartoum.



The transition government which took over after autocrat Omar al-Bashir was toppled last year has vowed to lead Sudan to democracy, end discrimination and make peace with rebels.



Non-Muslims will no longer be criminalised for drinking alcohol in private, Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari told state television. For Muslims, the ban will remain. Offenders are typically flogged under Islamic law.



Sudan will also decriminalise apostasy and ban FGM, a practice which typically involves the partial or total removal of the external genitalia of girls and women, he said.



Women will also no longer need a permit from male members of their families to travel with their children.



Bashir extended Islamic law after he took power in 1989.



Sudanese Christians live mainly in Khartoum and in the Nuba mountains near the South Sudan border. Some Sudanese also follow traditional African beliefs.



The transition government led by Abdalla Hamdok runs the country in an uneasy coalition with the military which helped remove Bashir after months of mass protests.

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Sudan’s 37 dry years are over for its non-Muslims

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Last week Sudan sent a letter to the UN Security Council asking them to discourage Ethiopia from filling their Renaissance Dam reservoir before coming to an agreement with the country and Egypt. This letter comes after the back and forth between Ethiopia and Egypt on the way forward for this almost $5 billion project. So how much are these disagreements costing? And what could the bill rack up to if it’s not sorted out soon? CNBC Africa spoke to Political Economic Analyst, Mikael Arage for more.

Assessing the economic & political impact of Ethiopia’s GERD dam

By Thandi Tobias



In its fight against the spread of COVID-19, our continent faces a massive challenge that requires unprecedented levels of unity and coordinated action. To prevail, we have to grasp without hesitation what the World Health Organization (WHO) has described as a ‘window of opportunity’ while it remains open for us to do so.



While our continent is home to many of the world’s fastest developing nations, it is also home to some of the most vulnerable. It is a known fact that the high prevalence of malnutrition, anaemia, malaria, HIV/AIDs, and tuberculosis among our people, puts our continent in an unfortunate position; one in which high death rates happen easily. That is why the country’s leadership had to act swiftly and decisively.



As Africans, it is essential that we focus on coordinated efforts in our shared battle against COVID-19.&nbsp; Africa spans both hemispheres and consists of 55 member states. Our combined efforts and determination can and will see us through this challenging period. The second and follow-up virtual meeting of the ‘AU Bureau of Heads of State and Government’, held in April 2020, ended with solid plans for a more unified African response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to presentations by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, Dr John Nkengasong, Director of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Bureau was also addressed by French President Emmanuel Macron.



All the heads of state in attendance expressed a shared apprehension over the unknown impact this virus stands to have on the health of citizens of Africa, as well as the unforeseeable economic impact it will have. The Heads of States and Governments discussed three broad themes and agreed to proceed to pursue several key solutions:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stronger inter-continental links for greater African solidarity</h2>



There was unanimous agreement on the urgent need to establish better humanitarian and trade corridors among countries; something they agreed would require cohesive efforts from all participants.&nbsp; All decisions would be in the best interest of the continent and its people.&nbsp; This will also enable Africa to speak with one voice on Africa’s priorities. African leaders also agreed on the need for an immediate lifting of all economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and Sudan, as no African state would be left alone to fight against the spread of COVID-19. It was resolved that without the burden of sanctions, Zimbabwe and Sudan would be better positioned to save lives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An aggressive medical response</h2>



Africa requires the production of medical supplies and equipment. The heads of states and governments called for international cooperation, support towards up-scaling local production of needed Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs), medical supplies such as masks, gowns, ventilators, and other support devices, all of which are greatly needed in the continent.



Furthermore, the AU commended rapid action initiatives such as the ones coordinated by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Jack Ma Foundation. Working with the World Food Programme and Africa CDC, they mobilised and distributed over one million diagnostic tests, six million masks, and 600,000 PPE items to all African Union member states in less than a week.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fundraising efforts</h2>



The AU is taking a multi-stakeholder approach towards raising needed financial and other forms of international support to strengthen the fight to flatten COVID-19 growth in Africa. The gathered Heads of States and Governments also noted the progress made in operationalising the African Union’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which was established on in March 2020. Members pledged the sum of US$12.5 million and an additional US$4.5million to the Africa CDC.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Africa’s Call</h2>



To win the battle against COVID-19, protect its citizens and, by extension, citizens of the world, the AU calls for the support pledged by the G20, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be delivered without further delay. It also calls for these institutions to review their disbursement policies to unlock higher levels of flexibility, speed, and Africa’s access to the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). In addition, the AU also supports the call for a comprehensive stimulus package for Africa and the immediate suspension of interest payments on Africa’s external public and private debt. Such measures would benefit all Africans, as greater fiscal space would be created to resource the battle against COVID-19.



In conclusion, allow me to remind you all, of our South African concept of Ubuntu – I am because you are – which also rings true in the hearts of all Africans and, I hope, inspires people around the world. It is in the spirit of this shared humanity that Africa’s call is made for the global support of our resilient, yet fragile continent.



*Thandi Tobias is the Chairperson of Brand South Africa; the official marketing agency of South Africa with a mandate to build the country&#8217;s brand reputation and to improve its global competitiveness.

International travel for South Africans is now allowed, this is how it will work

Op-Ed: Africa’s people-led approach to combat COVID-19 shows signs of progress and leadership

By Akinwumi A. Adesina



We are in a battle against time to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. While tackling the Coronavirus pandemic has grabbed global attention, a new crisis that could claim a lot more lives is brewing in Africa: massive locust invasions.



Billions of desert locusts are ravaging countries all across East Africa, including Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and Djibouti. It has been reported that their numbers are likely to increase by up to 400 times by June 2020, reaching crisis levels.



The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has estimated that unless quickly controlled, 5 million additional people in East Africa will be hungry by June.



An unprecedented race against time has begun to urgently stop the progression and potentially devastating impact of the deadly twins: COVID-19 and the locusts for millions in Africa.



We all know that rains are good for crops. But then when good rains also caused favorable breeding environments for locusts, the joy of rains has suddenly turned hopes of expected plenty into glooms of hunger.&nbsp; Is the best of times becoming the worst of times?



Locust breeding populations have increased massively. The locust plague moves with devastating effects: imagine a carpet of locusts of up to 150 million locusts covering a square kilometer. And think about it, that they can consume crops in one day that can feed approximately 35,000 people. In East Africa, where FAO estimates that some 20 million people are already food insecure, the effects will be devastating.



The locust crisis emerges as the continent is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. These are tough odds to face.



Today, distressfully, choices for millions of the poor are oddly similar: to stay in confinement and escape dying from Coronavirus or dying from hunger staying at home.



It is already playing out. Food riots broke out a few days ago in Kibera, the largest slum in Kenya, as people trampled over each other, defying social distancing &#8211; prescribed to stem the spread of the Coronavirus &#8211; to get food. Coronavirus could kill, but hunger kills many more people.



With the lockdowns for the COVID-19 pandemic, pest control workers are largely unable to go out to spray. While restrictions have been lifted to allow aircrafts used to spray to operate, they can do little as they are largely unable to get access to the chemicals, due to disruption of supply chains.



It appears that those who escape the COVID-19 will soon face LOCUST-19. In East Africa alone, the number of hungry people could jump to 30 million people.



There are several lifesaving recommendations we can act on now. These include one, the creation of a &#8220;green channel&#8221; for the free flow of food and agricultural inputs and pesticides to control pest attacks. Two, putting in place measures to prevent food price hikes by releasing food from government grain reserves and implementing anti-hoarding policies. Three, rapidly scaling up food production technologies, including high-yielding, early-maturing, drought-tolerant, disease- and pest-resistant staple crops, and programs such as the African Development Bank’s flagship program, the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) initiative.



The good news is that the African Development Bank has joined the FAO as the frontrunners in this unprecedented race against time. The Bank has just approved a $1.5 million grant to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the FAO to support efforts to spray against the locusts and safeguard livelihoods in the East and the Horn of Africa. More help will be needed.



The last thing Africa needs now, as we are battling with the COVID-19 pandemic, is a hunger pandemic.



COVID-19 has taken the international community on an unpredictable journey. Thankfully, we can preclude and halt the locust crisis. For that to happen, we all must rally around the FAO to provide the $153 million needed.



COVID-19 cannot be followed by LOCUST-19.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

AfDB board stands by embattled President Adesina

Op-Ed: Africa cannot afford LOCUST-19

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Sudan’s Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok has survived an assassination attempt targeting his convoy in the capital Khartoum. According to reports, Mr. Hamdok survived car bomb explosion and has been moved to a safe location. Activist, Rozan Ahmed joins CNBC Africa for more.

Sudan’s PM survives assassination attempt

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The Ethiopian government has rejected the decision by the Arab League to endorse Egypt’s position on the Nile waters. Meanwhile, Sudan has urged Egypt and Ethiopia to return to negotiations to reach a deal regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. CNBC Africa spoke to Mikael Arage, Analyst for more.

Finding solutions to the Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dam dispute

By Pieter Scribante, Economist and Political Analyst, NKC African Economies



On Tuesday, February 11, Sudan’s transitional government and rebel groups from Darfur agreed, in principle, that the individuals who are wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) should appear before the tribunal. 



This announcement was made on Tuesday in Juba, the capital of
neighbouring South Sudan, where government authorities and the Darfur rebels
are engaging in peace talks. 



Former President Omar Al-Bashir, who was deposed in a military-led
coup in April 2019, is the most high-profile among the individuals wanted by
the ICC: He faces charges of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity
committed in Darfur. 



However, as things currently stand, the government has no
intention of extraditing Mr Bashir to The Hague. Al-Hassan Al-Taishi, a member
of the Sovereign Council, stated that during the negotiation in Juba, the two
sides agreed on a mechanism that would include “the appearance of those who
face arrest warrants before the ICC”. 



However, this agreement does not specify when and how Mr Bashir,
and the other parties involved, will be tried. 



Thus far, Mr Bashir has only been prosecuted domestically on
charges of money laundering and corruption, with further charges pending. He
has survived international prosecution due to disagreements within the
Sovereign Council. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and the Forces of Freedom and
Change (FFC) – the civilian coalition in the Sovereign Council – have expressed
their support for sending Mr Bashir to The Hague. 



However, President Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the military bloc of
the Sovereign Council vehemently oppose this. The senior military officers held
powerful positions under Mr Bashir and likely fear the repercussions if he is
convicted and the implications of their complacency and cooperation. 



Currently, the government maintains the stance that Mr Bashir
should face the ICC, but it has no intention of sending him out of the country.




The government favours a compromise in which the trial will take
place in Sudan, through a hybrid ICC/domestic court. This has the benefit of
smoothening the peace talks in Juba, gaining international support for Sudan,
and allowing the government to keep a firm hand on the prosecution. 



However, there are several problems with this plan. Sudan is not a
signatory of the Rome Statute and does not recognise the ICC’s authority, thus
the Court does not have jurisdiction in the country. Additionally, a trial of
this nature is highly unorthodox. It is unlikely that the ICC would agree to a
hybrid system – which could potentially include Sudanese officials – as it
risks diminishing the reputation and verdict of the Court. 



While the agreement between the Sovereign Council and the rebels
in Darfur is extraordinary, it does not necessarily mean that Mr Bashir will
have his day in court for his crimes committed in Darfur. 



It is unclear how this will play out, and currently, this is just
an agreement in principle. Sudan is under no legal obligation to hand Mr Bashir
over to the ICC. Moreover, the ICC has not agreed to the hybrid system nor to a
domestic prosecution. 



However, this move has gained international attention and support
for Sudan. This coincides with UN Secretary General António Guterres’s call to
remove Sudan from the US State Sponsor of Terrorism List (SSTL) and “to
mobilise massive international support to enable Sudan to overcome its
challenges”. 



This latest development plays directly into the government’s strategy of bringing peace to the Darfur region and riding a wave of optimism, which could help the ongoing talks with the US and increase the chances of being removed from the SSTL.

Op-Ed: Sudan’s Bashir one step closer to the ICC

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Sudan has begun allowing private traders to export gold, a move expected to crack down on smuggling and attract foreign currency into the country’s cash-strapped treasury. Until January 1st 2020, when the decision was made, Sudan’s Central Bank had been the sole body legally allowed to buy and export gold and set up centers to buy the metal from small-scale miners. Hajooj Kuka, Analyst and Activist joins CNBC Africa for more on what the country is doing to revive the economy.

Sudan allows private traders to export gold in bid to boost revenues

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Sudan&#8217;s Prime Minister, Hamdok held talks in Washington with the aim of having Sudan removed from the US list of countries that are said to sponsor terrorism. In order to be removed from the terrorism list, Sudan must meet a series of US conditions, including payments to the embassy bomb victims. Also the United States is set to name an ambassador to the country for the first time in 23 years. Analyst and Activist, Hajooj Kuka joins CNBC Africa for more.

US to reinstate ambassador to Sudan for first time in 23 years

KHARTOUM (Reuters) &#8211; Sudan needs up to $5 billion in budget support to avert economic collapse and launch reforms after the ouster of veteran ruler Omar al-Bashir, its finance minister told Reuters.



The country, in crisis since losing most of its oil wealth with South Sudan’s secession in 2011, has only enough foreign currency reserves to fund imports for a few weeks, said Ibrahim Elbadawi, part of a transitional government formed in August.



Sudan has had some support for fuel and wheat imports but about 65 percent of its 44 million people live in poverty and it needs up to $2 billion in development funding along with a hoped-for $2 billion from Arab development funds, he said.



Outlining reform plans in detail for the first time, Elbadawi said public salaries would need to be increased and a social support network established to prepare for the painful removal of fuel and food subsidies.



Months of demonstrations over price hikes for fuel and bread and cash shortages&nbsp;triggered the uprising against Bashir, who was toppled in April by the military. Protests have continued since, with people killed in clashes with security forces.



“We have started the process (of reforms),” Elbadawi said in an interview on Thursday. “The people of Sudan deserve to be seen in a radically different prism than the international community used to see Sudan, as a country ruled by a pariah state.”



“Now we have a revolution,” he said. Asked how much budget support was needed for 2020 he said: “Some estimates say between three to four billion (US dollars), maybe even five billion.”



The civilian government Elbadawi is part of has taken over for three years under a power-sharing deal with the military. It has drawn slightly more than half of $3 billion in support for imports of wheat and fuel offered by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates in April, he said.



A “friends of Sudan” donor meeting is planned for December and the government had agreed with the United States it could start engaging with international institutions while still on a list of countries deemed sponsors of terrorism, Elbadawi said.



The designation, which dates from allegations in 1993 that Bashir’s Islamist government supported terrorism, makes it technically ineligible for debt relief and financing from the IMF and World Bank. Congress needs to approve a removal.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">CURRENCY</h3>



The first experts from international institutions had arrived in Khartoum to help with reforms and a delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would come this month for Chapter IV discussions, Elbadawi said. There was no immediate comment from the IMF, World Bank or U.S. State Department.



Part of a roadmap agreed with the IMF and World Bank was that Sudan did not have to pay back $3 billion in arrears from international institutions.



“We don’t need to pay anything. What we need to &#8230; deliver really is policy,” he said. Sudan is one of the most indebted countries, owing $60 billion, which needs to be settled separately.



Sudan would start to increase its tax base and overhaul the civil sector, Elbadawi said. Salaries — eroded by double digit inflation rates — could be raised as much as 100 percent by April.



In the second half of next year a social support network would be set up to allow the lifting of subsidies by June or later.&nbsp;Some donor funding would be used to collect data to allow cash transfers for the needy.



Sudan also wanted to produce bread based on sorghum, a local cereal, to import less wheat. He said he hoped a spread between official and black market would be ended by June. But this week the local pound dropped to 80 for a dollar on the black market versus the official rate at 45.



He said the 2020 budget would have sustainable development targets for education, health care and social spending, suggesting Sudan might move away from the dominant military spending choking development.



Writing by Ulf Laessing; editing by Philippa Fletcher

This African country needs up to $5 billion in budget support to prevent collapse

KHARTOUM (Reuters) &#8211; Sudan’s prime minister will ask the World Bank for $2 billion in support during his current visit to New York, the country’s finance minister said on Monday.



Finance Minister Ibrahim Elbadawi also said Sudan had asked the World Bank to second and fund three Sudanese experts to work in Sudan during the country’s political transition.



Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Louise Heavens

This African country plans to ask the World Bank for $2 billion in support

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According to media, Sudan’s Prime Minister revealed the country needs about $8 billion in foreign aid over the next two years to cover its import bill and help rebuild its ravaged economy after months of political turmoil. To share more on the country’s economic recovery, Activist and Analyst, Hajooj Kuka joins CNBC Africa for more.

Sudan in need of $10 billion to rebuild economy: Exactly how bad is the aftermath of political turmoil?

KHARTOUM (Reuters) &#8211; Sudan needs $8 billion in foreign aid over the next two years to cover its import bill and help rebuild its ravaged economy after months of political turmoil, its new prime minister said on Saturday.



Abdalla Hamdok, sworn in three days earlier to head a transitional government after the ousting of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir, said up to another $2 billion of foreign reserves deposits were needed in the next three months to halt a fall in the currency.



The 61-year-old economist, who has worked for the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, said he had started talks with the IMF and the World Bank to discuss restructuring Sudan’s crippling debt, and had approached friendly nations and funding bodies about the aid.



Mounting public anger over shortages of food, fuel and hard currency triggered mass demonstrations that eventually forced Bashir from power in April.



“We are in communication to achieve this,” Hamdok said in his first interview with a foreign media outlet. “The foreign reserves in the central bank are weak and very low.”



“However,” he said, “there won’t be a forced prescription from the IMF or the World Bank on Sudan.”



On the politically tricky topic of government subsidies for bread, fuel, electricity and medicine, Hamdok said any changes would only be made after “deep discussions” with the people.



“The people are the ones who will make the decision on this issue,” he said.



He also said he had been talking with the United States to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism &#8211; a designation which has left Khartoum isolated from most of the international financial system since 1993.



There was no immediate comment from the U.S. government, the IMF or the World Bank.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">DEVALUED CURRENCY</h3>



Sudan has been in economic turmoil since it lost the bulk of its oil production in 2011 when South Sudan seceded after decades of civil war.



It has devalued the pound several times but not been able to halt the fall. One dollar currently fetches 65 pounds on the black market versus the official rate of 45.



“We will work to unify the exchange rate, and to manage the exchange rate using a flexible managed exchange rate,” Hamdok said, without going into details.



He said Sudan needed to restore trust in the banking system.



Hamdok, who studied agricultural economics, has also worked at the African Development Bank and most recently as a special advisor at the Trade and Development Bank in Ethiopia. He said Sudan needed to tap its agricultural potential.



Sudan is rich in agricultural resources but high taxes, corruption and mismanagement have held back investment in the sector for decades.



“We want to take the Sudanese economy from an economy based on consumption and imports to a productive economy, and stop exporting products such as livestock and agriculture as raw materials,” Hamdok said. “Instead, we will aim to process them so as to create added value.”



He also said he wants to focus on peace-building in a nation that has seen conflicts flare in multiple parts of the country, and endured a civil war that ended in the succession of the South.



“Stopping war, which represents 70% of the expenditure in the budget, will create a surplus that can be invested in production and particularly agriculture, livestock, and related industries,” he said.



Shortly after Bashir was ousted, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia pledged $3 billion in aid to Sudan, in the form of a $500 million deposit in the central bank, which Sudan has already received, as well as fuel, wheat, and medicine.



The generals who forced Bashir from power took over and then, after months of wrangling and further violent protests, agreed to set up a transitional body including civilians to pave the way to elections in three years time.



Many hope Hamdok can shepherd Sudan through the transitional period, but some opposition members and analysts worry that the power-sharing deal may fall short of expectations in a country where the military, backed by Islamists, has dominated for decades.



Writing by Nafisa Eltahir and Ulf Laessing; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Daniel Wallis

Why Sudan needs up to $10 billion in aid to rebuild economy

By Francois Conradie, Head of Research, NKC African Economics



Sudan
has a civilian prime minister for the first time since 1989, the year Omar
Al-Bashir deposed Sadiq Al-Mahdi. 



The
new (transitional) prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, took the oath of office on
Wednesday, August 21 – on the same day as the new Sovereign Council. 



Mr
Hamdok had been working as a senior economist for the UN in Ethiopia until last
year and, after resigning from that position, had turned down an offer from Mr
Bashir to become finance minister. He holds a PhD in economics from Manchester
University and his career includes various positions in international
organisations like the International Labour Organisation and the African
Development Bank.



Real
power will continue to lie with the military which will exercise it through the
Sovereign Council. 



The
council is made up of five soldiers and six civilians, with the important
detail that one of the civilians is a former military man. This means that the
military will dominate the council through its chairman, General Abdel Fattah
Burhan (who until this week was the leader of the Transitional Military
Council, the TMC) and General Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo (a powerful
officer who has played a role in suppressing dissent in Darfur for decades). 



Mr
Burhan will exercise power for 21 months and then a civilian is to take over
for 18 months. Elections are supposed to take place at the end of the latter
period.



Mr
Hamdok has one job: to improve Sudan’s international relations enough to unlock
fresh loans from countries other than the Gulf states that have already
supplied some desperately needed capital. 



First
prize would be if he could get Sudan’s designation by the US lifted as a state
sponsor of terrorism, but it will take time before it becomes clear whether
that will be possible. 



The
importance of better relations with foreign governments means that authorities
will tend to promote good governance, so we remain cautiously optimistic about
the direction of travel in Sudan, but massacres over the past few months show
that the military men’s brutal instincts are still there.

Op-Ed: Sudan has a civilian prime minister for the first time since 1989

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Sudan’s military and opposition coalition have signed a final power-sharing agreement that paves the way for a transitional government and elections. Meanwhile, deposed President Omar al-Bashir is facing trial over fraud charges. Activist, Rozan Ahmed joins CNBC Africa for more.

Omar al-Bashir faces corruption charges, what impact will Sudan’s power-sharing agreement have on the revolution?

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In the wake of the death of Sudan, the world&#8217;s last male Northern rhino the role and challenges faced by conservationists in what is turning out to not only be an important but frustrating job of protecting wildlife has been brought to light through film. Following the journey of two young rangers, Kifaru is a movie set out to shed more light on poaching and the need to protect Africa&#8217;s wildlife. M.D of Ol Pejeta Rangers, Richard Vigne joins CNBC Africa for more.

Sudan

Sudan 2020 budget will adjust currency, aim for float in 2 years -government source

Sudan’s 37 dry years are over for its non-Muslims

Assessing the economic & political impact of Ethiopia’s GERD dam

Op-Ed: Africa’s people-led approach to combat COVID-19 shows signs of progress and leadership

Op-Ed: Africa cannot afford LOCUST-19

Sudan’s PM survives assassination attempt

Finding solutions to the Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dam dispute

Op-Ed: Sudan’s Bashir one step closer to the ICC

Sudan allows private traders to export gold in bid to boost revenues

US to reinstate ambassador to Sudan for first time in 23 years

This African country needs up to $5 billion in budget support to prevent collapse

This African country plans to ask the World Bank for $2 billion in support

Sudan in need of $10 billion to rebuild economy: Exactly how bad is the aftermath of political turmoil?

Why Sudan needs up to $10 billion in aid to rebuild economy

Op-Ed: Sudan has a civilian prime minister for the first time since 1989

Omar al-Bashir faces corruption charges, what impact will Sudan’s power-sharing agreement have on the revolution?

Nature conservation brought to light through award-winning film, Kifaru

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Sudan

Sudan 2020 budget will adjust currency, aim for float in 2 years -government source

Sudan’s 37 dry years are over for its non-Muslims

Assessing the economic & political impact of Ethiopia’s GERD dam

Op-Ed: Africa’s people-led approach to combat COVID-19 shows signs of progress and leadership

Op-Ed: Africa cannot afford LOCUST-19

Sudan’s PM survives assassination attempt

Finding solutions to the Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dam dispute

Op-Ed: Sudan’s Bashir one step closer to the ICC

Sudan allows private traders to export gold in bid to boost revenues

US to reinstate ambassador to Sudan for first time in 23 years

This African country needs up to $5 billion in budget support to prevent collapse

This African country plans to ask the World Bank for $2 billion in support

Sudan in need of $10 billion to rebuild economy: Exactly how bad is the aftermath of political turmoil?

Why Sudan needs up to $10 billion in aid to rebuild economy

Op-Ed: Sudan has a civilian prime minister for the first time since 1989

Omar al-Bashir faces corruption charges, what impact will Sudan’s power-sharing agreement have on the revolution?

Nature conservation brought to light through award-winning film, Kifaru

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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