Al-Burhan calls to resume Sudan’s debt forgiveness process
The head of the military-led ruling Sovereign Council Thursday called on the international community to resume the foreign debt relief process and reiterated his pledge to not participate in the transitional government.
Before launching a call for the clearance of external debt, which was estimated at over US$60 billion at the end of 2021, al Burhan renewed his pledge to withdraw from negotiations to solve the ongoing political crisis after last year’s coup and to not participate in the future transitional cabinet.
“The foreign debt is a stumbling block for my country and is limiting its efforts to continue achieving economic and social development through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals,” he told the general debate of the 77th UN General Assembly session, on Thursday.
He further stressed that Sudan has been qualified to benefit from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.
“Therefore, we appeal to the international community and brotherly and friendly countries to fulfil their commitments made at the Paris 2020 and Berlin 2021 meetings, noting that Sudan has completed all the legislation required to benefit from debt forgiveness,” he stressed.
On June 28, 2021, the Executive Boards of the IMF and World Bank approved debt relief for Sudan under the HIPC initiative and decided to immediately reduce the country’s debt from about US$56 billion to US$28 billion.
However, after the military coup against the civilian government, the international community and financial institutions suspended their financial and economic aid to Sudan. But they reiterated their commitment to resume the support process once a credible civilian government is formed.
On July 4, 2022, al-Burhan vowed to not take part in a transitional government to be formed from civilian technocrats but he added they want a military-led national security body tasked with the security and defence issues besides some sovereign powers to be negotiated with the government.
His proposal has been rejected by the formerly ruling coalition Forces for Freedom and Change saying such a council means that the military would continue to oversight the transitional and continue to obstruct needed reforms of the security sector.
The head of the Sovereign Council restated Sudan’s commitment to cooperate with UNITAMS in line with the UN Charter and its mandate set forth by the Security Council and “in line with the list of requests presented by Sudan to the UN to promote the transition”, as he emphasized.
Al-Burhan further said that Sudan is striving to improve security, development and peace in the region, with South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Chad among other countries.
He added that Sudan was the coordinator alongside the African Union to reach a peace agreement in the Central African Republic. Sudan is also working with stakeholders to maintain security in Libya.
He reminded that his country is hosting some four million refugees, and called for greater international support to address the situation of refugees and local communities hosting them.
Anti-Burhan protests
Sudanese in New York City staged a protest outside the UN headquarters to denounce the coup d’état of General al-Burhan and the bloody violence against peaceful pro-democracy protests.
Dozens of Sudanese protesters held pictures of the 117 protesters killed by the security forces during the anti-coup demonstrations that have begun immediately after the coup on October 25, 2021
“This demonstration is a message to the world to inform them that the General is a murderer. “As all the crimes against the demonstrators were committed while he was sitting watching them from the presidential palace,” Osama Khalafallah, a participant in the protest told Sudan Tribune from New York.
Khalafalla added they addressed a memorandum to the UN Secretary-General “denouncing the recognition of military rule” and criticizing al-Burhan’s invitation to New York, which he described as a “disgrace”.
“This invitation is a blow to the Sudanese people despite their great sacrifices to achieve freedom and democratic transition,” he added.
The Sudanese-American community plans a protest against al-Burhan in front of the Sudanese embassy in Washington on Friday.
(ST)