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Overall, the #Sudan Partnership Conference today was a success, but some difficulties remain, including for the co-host, @GermanyDiplo. Here are a few take-aways. TREAD 1/ #BerlinSudanConf
Financially, at least 845 m USD of pledges were made in support of the Sudan Family Support Programme, the main focus of the conference. As it will cost 1.9 bn USD a year, more is needed, but it should be sufficient to roll-out. 2/ #BerlinSudanConf
Further pledges for development cooperation and humanitarian aid (incl. #Covid19 aid) are substantial, especially in light of the impending global recession.
Still, the IMF put the total financing gap at 1.5-2 bn USD for 2020-21 just to stop inflation from rising further. 3/
Still, the IMF put the total financing gap at 1.5-2 bn USD for 2020-21 just to stop inflation from rising further. 3/
The conference brought the International Financial Institutions into the process in a big way, a major success of the partnership. 400 m pre-arrears clearance grants from the World Bank for the SFSP will be great, as should be support from IMF and AfDB. Another aim fulfilled. 4/
On the flipside, the hope that the Gulf countries would provide further aid was dashed. KSA pledged just 10 m USD; UAE 50 m USD as "investment initiative". Western donors had previously hoped they would shoulder the bulk of the aid burden. 5/
As #TeamEurope shoulders a large part of the aid (with the EU the largest donor to the SFSP, second-largest in total after the US), its leeway in Sudan's politics may increase as well compared to the Gulf countries. That is far from assured though. 6/
The high-level statements from dozens of ministers signaled political support for a true international partnership with #Sudan. Many called for a greater role of the IFIs and the rescission of the SST listing by the United States. Let's see what the final communiqué says. 7/
The format of the #BerlinSudanConf was innovative, though technically challenging. Too often, the zoom stream was breaking up. Still, very good to explain the SFSP and include many voices from civil society and the streets of Khartoum. The transition isn't just the govt! 8/
As @_hudsonc highlighted, PM Hamdok's emphasis of the transition being "messy and non-linear", as he did before, was important. It was also encouraging to hear a number of countries offer their experience with transitions, including South Africa, Slovenia and Poland 9/
