Countries of the “Supporting the Democratic Transition in Sudan” conference pledged to provide economic support to Sudan during its democratic transition. The Paris Conference, which began on May 17 in order to reintegrate Sudan into the international community, was attended by the President of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council Abdul Fattah el-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.
In the context of the conference, many countries and international organizations reported that Sudan promised to erase its debts and to invest in sectors such as energy, agriculture and infrastructure, in order to support its democratic transformation and investment environment under the roof of the “Heavy Indebted Poor Countries” (HIPC) initiative
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, announced that the Arab League will realize a $100 million development project in various fields in Sudan.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia, one of the participants of the meeting, announced that it approved a grant of $20 million to contribute to Sudan’s debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to sources, Sudan currently possesses a debt of $60 billion to the IMF.
After the conference, French President Macron, President of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council el-Burhan and Prime Minister Hamdok released statements.
In his statement, Macron emphasized his satisfaction of the US removing Sudan from the list of countries that support terrorism, announced that they deleted its $5 billion debt and that Sudan would be given a loan of $1.5 billion to pay its debt to the IMF.
Al-Burhan emphasized that Sudan needs the support of the international community in order to establish peace in the country and that the transition period is progressing resolutely in achieving freedom, peace and justice.
Sudan’s Prime Minister Hamdok also emphasized in his statement that he wanted to organize the conference of Macron one year ago during his visit to France, but that they never thought it would take place in such a short time.
More than 40 countries and international organizations participated in the conference held in Paris on 17-18 May 2021.
Among the notable international participants of the conference, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, include the US, Germany, China, the United Kingdom, Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Qatar, as well as the IMF, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Arab League, the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union.
