Added to the deaths and destruction is the gradual collapse of the economy, almost six months after the start of the war. According to IMF forecasts, Sudan’s GDP is expected to contract by 18% this year. A considerable proportion in a country already in great economic difficulty.
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Since April 15, the date of the start of the war between the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (FSR) of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, Sudan has been plunged into chaos. In addition to thousands of deaths and millions of displaced people, the entire Sudanese system is also in agony. In a country where inflation was already in triple digits before the war, “ the conflict destroys infrastructure, notes the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and compromises access to basic service “. Result : the population seeks to flee the country.
Agriculture, a vital sector for the economy which represents nearly 40% of GDP and 80% of jobs according to the UN, has not been spared. Especially since this Wednesday, the authorities partially lost control of the Gezira agricultural megaproject to the benefit of the paramilitaries.
Another reason for concern: the cessation of the sale of gold, the country’s main source of income.
The pound has lost 50% of its value
Added to this is the collapse of the banking system. Salaries have not been paid for months. The price of the currency plunged. Since the start of the war, the Sudanese pound has lost half its value.
The IMF warns: “ The impact of the conflict could be long-lasting » and reconstruction could take years. And, he continues, “ a weakened Sudanese economy will have a negative impact on neighboring countries and North Africa more generally in the medium term “.
(With AFP)