DUBAI (Reuters) – Sudan’s acting finance minister said on Monday that the United States had committed to providing support for wheat and other commodities over four years as well as for debt relief, as it removes Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Sudan’s presence on the list had cut it off from much-needed financial assistance and foreign investment in the midst of an economic crisis marked by shortages in wheat and fuel.
“The U.S. government has committed to providing over $1 billion that will support Sudan on its road to debt relief … This is in addition to in-kind support that includes the provision of wheat and other commodities over four years,” acting Finance Minister Heba Ahmed said.
She said the U.S. Export-Import Bank would provide guarantees to American investors from the private sector, adding in an Arabic statement that they could initially total $1 billion. The debt relief would also open the door to $1.5 billion annually from the International Development Association, Ahmed said.
A delegation of executives from the 10 largest American agriculture companies would soon visit Sudan, followed by delegations from other sectors, she said.
In recent months, Sudan has fielded visits from General Electric and Boeing executives.
(Reporting by Nafisa Eltahir and Nayera Abdalla; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Alison Williams)
