On paper, the signing last week of a peace framework between Sudan's ruling military-civilian coalition is a moment to celebrate.
It was welcomed abroad. The Quad and Troika, multilateral groupings that include Norway, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK and the US, said it was: "an essential first step toward establishing a civilian-led government and defining constitutional arrangements to guide Sudan through a transitional period culminating in elections."
The country has needed this optimism for a long time. And while real progress has been made politically, momentum must now be replicated in other domains.
Sudan has had a tough few years. The ousting of its former president Omar Al Bashir in 2019, while important for the political future of the country, has not yet helped people on a material level, both economically and in terms of security.
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Zahra Hussein (R), a nine-year-old Sudanese girl who dropped out of school for financial reasons, poses for a picture with her brother at their home in the village of Ed Moussa in Sudan's eastern state of Kassala, on September 27, 2022. - There are nearly seven million children in Sudan who no longer go to school, a victim of what aid agencies have warned is a "generational catastrophe". Children in the country have for years faced mounting difficulties gaining access to proper education, especially in rural areas. Sudan is already one of the world's poorest countries, plagued by political instability, droughts, hunger and conflict, with an adult literacy rate of only around 60 percent according to the World Bank. AFP -
Abukk Sebit, 25, looks from her balcony after working to help financially her family in Sudan, at Ain Shams district area in Cairo, Egypt September 13, 2022. Reuters -
Mostafa waits for the bus before leaving for Egypt in Khartoum, Sudan September 24, 2022. Reuters -
Abdalla Ibrahim, the Sudanese owner of a coffee shop and father of seven, looks on as he sits behind a pot on a fire in the village of Gosla in Sudan's eastern state of Kassala, on September 27, 2022. There are nearly seven million children in Sudan who no longer go to school, a victim of what aid agencies have warned is a "generational catastrophe". Children in the country have for years faced mounting difficulties gaining access to proper education, especially in rural areas. Sudan is already one of the world's poorest countries, plagued by political instability, droughts, hunger and conflict, with an adult literacy rate of only around 60 percent according to the World Bank. AFP -
Othman Abubakr, a Sudanese day labourer who has nine children, poses for a picture in the village of Wad Sharifai in Sudan's eastern state of Kassala on September 27, 2022. There are nearly seven million children in Sudan who no longer go to school, a victim of what aid agencies have warned is a "generational catastrophe". Children in the country have for years faced mounting difficulties gaining access to proper education, especially in rural areas. Sudan is already one of the world's poorest countries, plagued by political instability, droughts, hunger and conflict, with an adult literacy rate of only around 60 percent according to the World Bank. AFP -
Ohaj Soliman, a 43-year-old Sudanese day labourer who put his children to work, poses for a picture during an interview with AFP in the village of Gosla in Sudan's eastern state of Kassala, on September 27, 2022. There are nearly seven million children in Sudan who no longer go to school, a victim of what aid agencies have warned is a "generational catastrophe". Children in the country have for years faced mounting difficulties gaining access to proper education, especially in rural areas. Sudan is already one of the world's poorest countries, plagued by political instability, droughts, hunger and conflict, with an adult literacy rate of only around 60 percent according to the World Bank. AFP -
Malaz Al-Bakr Ibrahim, 23, who has worked as a babysitter in Egypt since 2020 because of the economic and political situation in Sudan, poses for a photograph at Ain Shams district area in Cairo, Egypt September 13, 2022. Reuters -
Abukk Sebit, 25 years old, poses with her children after working to help her family in Sudan financially at Ain Shams district area in Cairo, Egypt September 13, 2022. Reuters -
Abukk Sebit, 25 years old, prepares food before going to work to help her family in Sudan financially at Ain Shams district area in Cairo, Egypt September 13, 2022. Reuters -
General view of a Sudanese coffee shop, where the number of Sudanese clients has increased in recent years after the economic and political conditions in their country deteriorated, at Ain Shams district area in Cairo, Egypt September 13, 2022. Reuters -
Sudanese protesters rally against the October 2021 military coup which has led to deaths and scores of arrests of demonstrators, in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, February 28, 2022. Since the coup, more than 80 people, mostly young men, have been killed and over 2,600 others injured in the protests, according to a Sudanese medical group. AP Photo -
A man flashes the victory sign during a protest to denounce the October 2021 military coup, in Khartoum, Sudan, Jan. 9, 2022. Since the coup, security forces launched a deadly crackdown on protesters. Many activists were taken from their homes or snatched from the streets, according to documents he provided to The Associated Press. Around 80 people, mostly young men, were killed and over 2,200 others were wounded in the protests since the coup, according to a Sundanese medical group. AP Photo -
A Sudanese protester holds a painting of a person who reportedly died in a previous rally during a protest, in Khartoum, Sudan, 20 January 2022. Sudanese protesters rallied against the killing of at least 70 protests in crackdown against pro-democracy since the beginning of the military coup on 25 October 2021. The protest was organized as the US Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee and US special envoy for the Horn of Africa David Satterfield visit Khartoum to meet separately with pro-democracy activists and military leaders to put an end to the crisis in the country. EPA -
A boy draws on the street in front of a barricade during a two-day general strike and civil disobedience campaign in response to demonstrators' deaths against military takeover on October 25, 2021, in Khartoum, Sudan January 18, 2022. Reuters -
A Sudanese demonstrator waves a national flag during a protest against the October 2021 military coup, in the capital Khartoum, on January 13, 2022. The demonstrations which converged from several parts of Khartoum came only days after the United Nations launched a bid to facilitate talks between Sudanese factions. AFP -
Sudanese protesters take to the streets of the capital Khartoum as they rally against the October 2021 military coup, on January 13, 2022. The demonstrations which converged from several parts of Khartoum came only days after the United Nations launched a bid to facilitate talks between Sudanese factions. AFP -
Sudanese protesters take cover as security forces fire tear gas during clashes with security forces at an anti-coup protest, in Khartoum, Sudan, 09 January 2022. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters gathering in Khartoum and attempting to march towards the presidential palace, as part of the continuing protesting movement against a military coup in October 2021. The protest was organized a day after the UN envoy for Sudan said the international group will invite different parties for talks in Sudan to end the crisis. EPA -
A Sudanese protester attempts to throw back a tear gas canister during clashes with security forces at an anti-coup protest, in Khartoum, Sudan, 09 January 2022. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters gathering in Khartoum and attempting to march towards the presidential palace, as part of the continuing protesting movement against a military coup in October 2021. The protest was organized a day after the UN envoy for Sudan said the international group will invite different parties for talks in Sudan to end the crisis. EPA -
Sudanese protesters take cover during clashes with security forces at an anti-coup protest, in Khartoum, Sudan, 09 January 2022. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters gathering in Khartoum and attempting to march towards the presidential palace, as part of the continuing protesting movement against a military coup in October 2021. The protest was organized a day after the UN envoy for Sudan said the international group will invite different parties for talks in Sudan to end the crisis. EPA -
Sudanese protesters take cover as security forces fire tear gas during clashes with security forces at an anti-coup protest, in Khartoum, Sudan, 09 January 2022. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters gathering in Khartoum and attempting to march towards the presidential palace, as part of the continuing protesting movement against a military coup in October 2021. The protest was organized a day after the UN envoy for Sudan said the international group will invite different parties for talks in Sudan to end the crisis. EPA
Creating political and social stability, both underpinned by economic stability, must be the guiding priority of the Sudanese government. This endeavour is achievable, but there is no time to lose.
It is tragic that a country with so much potential has languished for so long, with devastating consequences. Today, almost a million more people are in need of humanitarian assistance than last year. The overall number is at least, 14.3 million, according to Acaps, an NGO.
That number is even more troubling when Sudan's economic promise specifically is considered. A good example of squandered potential is the agricultural sector. Sudan could be a breadbasket to the region, indeed the world.
In May, Sudan’s Minister of Trade and Supply Amal Saad said her country could help ease food insecurity in the region, which is threatened by the war in Ukraine. Her case is strong. Sudan's climate, vast amounts of arable land and access to the Nile as a water source means its agriculture is robust enough to ease supplies on nothing less than a global scale. But generating this productivity is a long way off. Ms Saad called for regional investment, citing funding as a key impediment to the sector's growth.
It is a similar story across a number of areas of the economy. Fortunately, the country recently secured a major investment that could serve as a model for future funding. On Tuesday, Sudan made an early agreement with a group led by the UAE's AD Ports Group and an investment firm led by Osama Daoud Abdellatif, the chairman of Sudanese conglomerate DAL, to construct and operate a new airport, port and economic zone on the Red Sea. The basis is an investment of $6 billion. A 450km road will also connect the port with key agricultural regions.
This is a major, commercially viable package. Many more are yet to be realised. Investors across the region should take note. They will not only be embarking on what could be a profitable journey, but also one that helps secure the future of the country, and help last week's peace framework actually last.
