Sudan central bank says tech firm accredited as global SWIFT service bureau
June 16, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The Central Bank of Sudan announced on Tuesday that the Electronic Banking Services (EBS) company has been officially accredited to provide SWIFT global financial messaging and wire transfer services, a move aimed at reconnecting the war-torn country to the global financial system.
Sudan’s banking sector has suffered for years from weak foreign correspondent relationships stemming from past U.S. sanctions, while the ongoing civil war has further exacerbated structural challenges for local financial institutions.
The central bank said in a press release that EBS has been certified as a SWIFT Service Bureau after successfully passing the technical and administrative assessments under the SWIFT Shared Infrastructure Programme.
EBS is the first approved SWIFT service bureau in Sudan and one of only five companies in the Middle East and Africa to secure the advanced accreditation, according to the statement. The central bank described the development as a strategic milestone that reflects the country’s upgraded technical infrastructure, governance, and cybersecurity standards.
The central bank acquired a strategic stake in EBS on Jan. 15, 2026, to improve the stability of financial services and modernise national banking infrastructure.
The new local service bureau will provide full compliance with SWIFT security protocols and enhance cybersecurity resilience for the 26 local banks currently integrated into the EBS network. The central bank added that the service would bolster digital transformation, financial inclusion, and international investor confidence.
The international accreditation follows a series of operational milestones for EBS in the first half of 2026. The company successfully restored the national switch and completed comprehensive clearing operations across all banks, processing a record 100 million electronic account-to-account (A2A) transactions between January and May 2026.
Sudanese commercial banks continue to face significant friction with international institutions, particularly in the United States, due to residual compliance restrictions that increase the cost of foreign trade and remittances.
The civil war has inflicted more than $20 billion in asset losses on the domestic banking sector. Non-performing loan rates have surged past 6% as fighting disrupts credit repayments, alongside a sharp contraction in total bank deposits.
“The accreditation of EBS as a certified SWIFT Service Bureau is a strategic step and a qualitative leap for the digital transformation of Sudan’s banking sector,” Mohamed El-Khair, a digital transformation expert, told Sudan Tribune.
El-Khair said the local bureau would reduce operating costs for domestic banks, shorten integration times with international correspondent networks, and signal that Sudan’s financial system is building capacity despite recent upheaval.
“Securing this global accreditation sends a strong message that the Sudanese banking sector has moved beyond merely maintaining basic operational continuity to restoring confidence and capacity under international standards,” El-Khair added.