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Thursday, 17 December, 2020 - 09:30
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with Sudan s Sovereign Council Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Khartoum. (File photo: AFP Photo) Washington - Khartoum - Moaz al-Omari and Asharq Al-Awsat
The US Treasury Department announced the settlement of one billion dollars of Sudan’s arrears to the World Bank, after its removal from Washington’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list.
The move allows Sudan to access $1.5 billion annually in funds from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA).
Sudan’s presence on the list had cut it off from obtaining much-needed financial aid and foreign investment in the midst of an economic crisis marked by shortages in wheat and fuel.
US donates $1bn for Sudan debt relief - billions more in aid could follow thenationalnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenationalnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The pledges are the first significant economic boon for Sudan after the US’s long-awaited de-listing. Washington named Sudan a terrorism sponsor in 1993, citing its links with international Islamist-militant organisations under dictator Omar Al Bashir. Four years later, it enacted sweeping sanctions that lasted until 2017.
Dictator’s Legacy
The reversal
is another step towards overturning the legacy of Al Bashir, who made the country an international pariah for much of his 30-year rule and was ousted by the army amid mass protests in April 2019.
The ministry also said a delegation involving the 10 largest US agricultural companies will visit Sudan soon to build investment opportunities, followed by officials from other sectors.
US donates $1bn for Sudan debt relief but billions more aid could follow thenationalnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenationalnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.