Sudan’s Omdurman National Bank to restore foreign correspondent ties, manager says

February 16, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Omdurman National Bank is nearing a breakthrough to restore correspondent banking relations with foreign lenders, a move set to ease international transfers and trade finance, the bank’s general manager said on Monday.

The development marks a critical step in reconnecting Sudan’s war-torn economy to the global financial system. Sudan had previously emerged from decades of financial isolation in May 2021, following its removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. That reintegration, which saw the return of the SWIFT messaging system and IBAN standards, was largely reversed by the outbreak of conflict 34 months ago.

The ongoing war has devastated the country’s banking infrastructure, forcing the central bank to focus primarily on maintaining domestic payment systems and curbing the volatility of the Sudanese pound.

“The bank has initiated procedures to establish three correspondent banking relationships in a single country, which will facilitate external transactions,” Abdel Moneim Mohamed al-Tayeb told Sudan Tribune.

Al-Tayeb added that serious efforts are underway to finalize several other correspondent agreements within the next two months.

The lack of formal banking channels has forced many Sudanese abroad to bypass traditional lenders. High commissions at exchange houses and the collapse of direct inter-bank transfers have led to a heavy reliance on the Bank of Khartoum’s “Bankak” mobile application to move funds into the country.

Beyond financial operations, al-Tayeb disclosed that Omdurman National Bank has allocated 500 million Sudanese pounds ($310,000) to support local universities. The funding, intended for the procurement of educational equipment, accounts for more than 50% of the bank’s corporate social responsibility budget for 2026.