Khartoum-Mohamed Ibrahim
Sudan's Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Badr al-Din Mahmoud, revealed, on Wednesday, that he President of the African Development Bank Group(AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, announced his readiness to provide financing worth 150 million dollars to 200 million dollars for the project of Kenana Sugar in Sudan to strengthen its capacity and expand its production and the inclusion of Kenana in global capital markets.
Mahmoud pointed out that AfDB stressed that the future of Sudan is promising after lifting of sanctions and the opening up of Sudan at the regional and its African surroundings, revealing an investment forum in Africa organized by AfDB, which it will provide extensive opportunities for Sudan.
The minister said that Dr. Akinwumi Adesina discussed with the President of the Republic of Sudan, many and varied issues, including Sudan's relations with the bank and projects it financed in Sudan.
"The president stressed that he seeks to enhance the national unity through national dialogue to reach a political settlement with the parties, pointing out that the previous period witnessed a significant improvement in Darfur and the areas of conflict," Mahmoud said.
The Sudanese Finance Minister stressed, at a joint press conference with the President of AfDB, Sudan's support of the Bank, the African Union and African mechanism to resolve the African continent's problems, and stressing the role of Sudan to achieve peace in the region. He pointed out that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, called on the bank to provide a strategy for projects to feed Africa, manufacturing agricultural, and energy in Africa and support for renewable energies from the bank, as well as the African Integration in the financing of the projects between Sudan and Ethiopia in the electricity and railway projects, and continue to exempt Sudan's debt program in accordance with the international initiatives.
For his part, the President of AfDB congratulated Sudan over lifting of the sanctions, calling on Sudan to continue with development partners and AfDB. He also said that Kenana project is a great job and that the factory produces thousands of tons of sugar, ethanol and animal feed, promising that his bank will provide Sudan with million dollars to continue the ongoing projects in the education and water sectors, along with the diversification of income sources and combating desertification to bring a measure of stability in the countryside.