World Bank freezes aid to Sudan after coup; shares concern over nation's economic recovery

In the wake of military coup that toppled Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok-led government, the World Bank has announced that it has frozen aid to Sudan. World Bank President David Malpass on 27 October took to Twitter and stated that the group has paused disbursements in all of its operations in Sudan on Monday and also stopped processing any new operations. Raising concerns over the curren situation in Sudan, he said that he is greatly concerned about the coup and its impact on the country’s social and economic development.

"I am greatly concerned by recent events in Sudan, and I fear the dramatic impact this can have on the country’s social and economic recovery and development. In recent weeks, I visited Khartoum to meet with Sudanese authorities, including Prime Minister Hamdok and Chairman al-Burhan, and discussed the country’s economic and social transformation. I heard a clear commitment of all parties to work together toward a more prosperous future for the Sudanese people following 30 years of authoritarian rule and disengagement from the international community," said World Bank President David Malpass in a statement.

Malpass hopes that the peace and integrity of the transition process will be restored so that Sudan may resume its path of economic development and take its due role in the international financial community. He further added that Sudan has been a close partner of the World Bank Group, which helped to build the Sudan Family Support Program and support the country's COVID-19 vaccination implementation alongside other development partners. 

US condemns Sudan coup, suspends $700 million financial aid

Earlier on 26 October, the US President Biden-led administration announced the suspension of $700 million financial aid, which has been supplied to the Northeast African country for the past two decades, in a major move against military coup. The full sum of the aid package has been put on "hold" due to the military action against the democratically elected government, according to US State Department spokesman Ned Price. Price, who condemned the military ruler's illegal activities, urged the authority to release political leaders such as Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and numerous other social activists immediately.

When the military seized power on Monday, Abdalla Hamdok, a former UN economist, was jailed along with many other government officials and political personalities. On 25 October, the military chief, Gen Abdel-Fattah Burhan, disbanded the Sovereign Council and the transitional government and declared a state of emergency. He claimed the military was forced to intervene in order to keep the country from devolving into civil conflict. The coup came after weeks of rising tensions between military and civilian leaders over the direction and speed of Sudan's democratic transition.

(Image: AP)