Japan writes off US$28m Sudan debt

July 13, 2009 (KHARTOUM)– The Government of Japan today has written off a debt worth 28 million US dollars (3,165,000,000 yens) from its debts to the Sudan.

The Sudanese minister of finance, Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz, and the Japanese Ambassador to Sudan, Yuichi Ishii, signed a memorandum on the cancellation of debt at the Ministry of Finance and National Economy.

During the signing ceremony, Al-Jaz thanked the Japanese government for cancelling this portion of its debts to Sudan, saying that Sudan has been waiting for the international community to write off its debts to Sudan in accordance as they committed themselves to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The Sudanese minister pointed out that Sudan has honored its debts to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) according to the schedule in this regard for more than 10 years.

He further expressed his wishes that the rest of the world exempt debt to the Sudan, as has the State of Japan

Yuichi Ishii, the Japanese Ambassador to Sudan, said Sudan should use the equivalent amount of the cancelled debt for projects which will promote the implementation of the CPA through Unity Support Fund of the Government of the Sudan.

The Unity Support Fund was established by the Republican Decree No. 31 on June 15, 2008 to finance projects to make unity attractive in accordance with the CPA.

“By this way, both the Governments of Japan and Sudan believe that the cancellation of the debt contributes to strengthening unity of the Sudan, which is the spirit of the CPA signed in 2005,” Ishii said.

(ST)