Aljazeera.net correspondents
Sudanese Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim revealed that the Sudanese government has signed a number of agreements with Chinese institutions and companies in all fields, most notably in the fields of infrastructure, petroleum, electricity, and railways, in addition to investment in mining.
He said that it is hoped that Sudan will obtain grants and loans from some sisterly and friendly countries in the coming days.
In a special interview with Al Jazeera Net from the Chinese capital, Beijing, which he is visiting to participate in the China-Africa Forum, Ibrahim said, “We are optimistic about improving economic conditions despite the war.”
Ibrahim acknowledged that relations with China were affected during the period following the fall of Omar al-Bashir’s regime, and explained that the current Sudanese authorities have begun to restore these relations in a stronger way. He stressed that Sudan pays special attention to relations with China, and seeks to develop them into strategic partnerships that benefit both parties in all fields.
He revealed that the war’s losses in Sudan in infrastructure, public facilities, factories, companies, private and public property, in addition to the cost of lost opportunities, could reach hundreds of billions. He pointed out that state revenues declined in the period immediately following the war, during which electronic collection stopped by 90%. Oil and gold production also declined to an alarming degree, he said.
The following is the text of the interview:
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What is new in the numerous meetings that took place with officials from senior Chinese financial and economic institutions during your current visit to Beijing?
The People’s Republic of China is the second largest economy in the world and the fastest growing country, and its experience in lifting its people out of poverty is an amazing experience that deserves study, after it announced in 2021 the elimination of poverty in China.
We in Sudan have had strong economic and political relations with China for a long time, and during this visit to participate in the Ninth China-Africa Forum, we have signed and will sign more agreements with Chinese institutions and companies in all fields, most notably infrastructure, petroleum, electricity, and railways, in addition to investment in mining.
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It seems that there is a late trend on your part towards the East and China in particular. Is there room to build a strategic economic relationship and partnership between Sudan and China as it was in the past?
Relations with the People’s Republic of China faltered somewhat during the rule of the Freedom and Change Group, but we began to restore these relations more strongly later with visits by a number of ministers and officials to China. Malik Agar, Vice President of the Sovereignty Council, also visited China in November of last year, and I was among his companions.
The current forum is attended by the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Oil, along with a number of senior state officials. Sudan pays special attention to its historical relations with China, and seeks to develop them into strategic partnerships that benefit both parties in all fields.
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There is talk of some countries implicitly not recognizing the current Sudanese government, so they do not deal financially with you in terms of agreements and loans. How true is that?
We have not heard of a country that has announced its non-recognition of the current government in Sudan. The current government is recognized by the United Nations and all countries, and this government represents Sudan in all regional and international forums with official invitations. As for financial dealings through grants or loans, it depends on the relationship between the two countries concerned and the country’s classification on the credit rating scale in global financial markets, and the lender’s reassurance of the possibility of recovering his money. It has no direct relation to recognition of the country.
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After more than 500 days of war.. How much are Sudan’s losses?
As long as the war continues, it is impossible for assessment experts to reach all the places affected by the war, so it is difficult to talk about reliable numbers to estimate the losses. However, it is certain that the losses in infrastructure, public facilities, factories, companies, private and public properties, in addition to the cost of lost opportunities, are estimated at very many billions that may reach hundreds.
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How much has the revenue of different countries decreased as a result of the war?
State revenues declined in the immediate post-war period, and electronic collection stopped by more than 90% due to the concentration of revenue sources, especially tax revenues and government fees, in the national capital. Oil and gold production also declined to an alarming degree, but the state began to recover some of these revenues, and the situation improved to a significant extent.
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You were attributed with a statement that Sudan has lost its financial memory. What did you mean? And can Sudan regain its financial memory?
I did not say that Sudan lost its financial memory, but I said that our country lost its institutional memory, by losing its documents and archives in most of the government facilities that were occupied by the criminal militia that deliberately destroyed this memory. It is not easy to recover everything we have lost, but efforts are being made to recover a large part of what we have lost through various means.
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Can the economic situation of the Sudanese citizen improve in light of the war?
We are working hard to improve agricultural production using technical packages, and the fall (from July to October) this year promises abundant goodness. In addition, there are many factories that have moved their operations to safe states and are supervising the resumption of production. It is hoped that Sudan will obtain grants and loans from some sisterly and friendly countries in the coming days. In any case, we are optimistic about the improvement of the economic situation despite the war, which we hope will end soon with the defeat of the militia and its mercenaries.
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Political discourse in Sudan indicates readiness for a long war to eliminate the Rapid Support Forces. Are you financially prepared to spend on a long war?
The war is imposed on us, and the people are not prepared to accept the militia in the political or security scene after the war, after they have tasted all kinds of torment and the most horrific violations against their lives, honor, property and money. The political discourse in the country expresses these feelings and does not express a love for war and its horrors. If those who launched this existential war insist on continuing it, the Sudanese people are a proud and honorable people who prefer death to submission to conspiracies targeting their existence and independence.
