ASSESSMENTS

The West Woos Sudan With Pledges of Support

Oct 9, 2019 | 09:00 GMT

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (2L) is joined by his wife (L), economist Muna Abdalla, and French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and his spouse, Brigitte Macron (2R) in Paris on Sept. 30, 2019.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (2L) is joined by his wife (L), economist Muna Abdalla, and French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and his spouse, Brigitte Macron (2R) in Paris on Sept. 30, 2019. The West is hoping its promises of cash will give it influence in Khartoum.

(BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images)

Highlights

  • Western states will successfully leverage their support for Sudan's transitional government amid the country's economic challenges to establish geopolitical influence there.
  • Anticipated Western financial support will bolster the civilian government's position against that of the military, which has closer ties with other financial backers like the Gulf states, China and Russia.
  • But for this to occur, the United States will first have to remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism — a development that some expect to come soon.

With a new government finally in place, Sudan's suitors are starting to call. In August, the country's military and civilian leaders formed a transitional government, winning plaudits from the international community. For Khartoum, however, one issue continues to cloud its path forward: the United States' designation of Sudan as a sponsor of terrorism. Until Washington removes Khartoum from the list, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's government won't be able to access much debt relief or financial support that would help right Sudan's poor economy. And as many lobby the United States to remove Sudan from the list, Western actors are looking to make inroads in the country. French President Emmanuel Macron, for one, has offered to organize an international conference to restructure the country's debt as soon as the United States removes the country from its terrorism list. The French proposal illustrates the possible rewards available to Sudan, as well as...

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