More action needed to unlock frozen aid, US tells Sudan’s military leader
Sudan’s military leadership will need to do more if it is to unlock frozen US aid, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the country’s leaders yesterday, a day after military leader Abdel Fattah Al Burhan agreed to reinstate Abdalla Hamdok as the country’s prime minister and form a technocratic government. In separate calls to Al Burhan and Hamdok yesterday, Blinken urged them to “work rapidly to put Sudan’s democratic transition back” by releasing all political detainees and lifting the state of emergency. The US suspended USD 700 mn in aid to Sudan last month after Al Burhan led a military takeover, imprisoning Hamdok and other civilian ministers in the transitional government.
Israel and Jordan have agreed to partner in a water-for-energy agreement, Reuters reports. The agreement, the first of its kind between the two countries, was brokered by the UAE and would see Jordan build 600 MW of solar-generating capacity and export the energy to Israel. In return Tel Aviv would provide water-scarce Jordan with 200 mn cubic metres of desalinated water.
Israel is also reportedly in talks with Egypt for a similar agreement: The head of the Israeli prime minister’s office told Bloomberg last week that the two countries were having discussions about establishing Israeli solar plants in Egypt, but provided little details about what is on the table.
Also worth knowing this morning:
- Oil companies think Libya could be looking more stable as they eye USD bn investments: TotalEnergies will invest USD 2 bn in Libya’s Waha oil project, while Eni will begin working on oil, natural-gas and solar projects ahead of the country’s presidential elections. (Bloomberg)