Sudan : Six months after the start of the conflict, the war in Sudan continues to inflict " untold suffering, putting lives in danger, displacing millions of people from their homes and causing deaths" , according to MSF, which deplores the lack of protection of civilians. The latter live at the mercy of bombings, shelling and shootings.
Rashid Mohamed Ahmed, a resident of Omdurman, continues to hope that peace will eventually settle: "The war continues without mercy. We wake up every day hoping for a solution, an agreement or a ceasefire. -fire will be found. Unfortunately, this hope is fading day by day. "
Even in easier-to-reach places, millions of displaced people are living in overflowing camps and makeshift sites like schools, having been driven from their homes by violence.
NGOs are calling for a significant increase in humanitarian efforts, the protection of medical personnel, aid workers and civilians, and the lifting of administrative blocks on medical and humanitarian personnel and supplies.
9,000 people have been killed in Sudan since the start of the war and more than five million have been displaced, worsening the humanitarian and health crisis in the country.
Zambia reaches debt deal with foreign creditors
Zambia has concluded a debt restructuring agreement with its foreign creditors, which will allow the first African country to have defaulted on its debt after the Covid pandemic to breathe financially, the Ministry of Finance announced on Saturday.
“The Ministry of Finance is pleased to announce that a memorandum of understanding has been concluded with its Official Creditor Committee (OCC) on the overall debt treatment concluded in June 2023,” said Minister of Finance Situmbeko Musokotwane during annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank which are being held until Sunday in Marrakech (Morocco).
“Each creditor will now begin the internal process of signing” the memorandum of understanding, he added.
Zambia reached an agreement in principle with its foreign creditors in June on the restructuring of $6.3 billion in external debt, but it had yet to be finalized. Its conclusion was one of the conditions set out by the IMF in the agreement detailing its aid program with Zambia, in order to release all disbursements.
“The next step is to secure a similar agreement with our private creditors,” Mr Musokotwane said.
“Our government is committed to solving the debt problem that is choking our economy and we are proud of the immense progress we have made. Once completed, the debt restructuring will free up vital resources for our government to invest in our development program,” he said.
Zambia's debt, which has exploded in recent years, is estimated at $32.8 billion, including $18.6 billion from foreign creditors such as China, its main lender.
Zambia was the first African country to default on its debt in 2020 after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zambia had reached an agreement with the IMF for a $1.3 billion aid package in August 2022 and successfully passed the first review, which allows the IMF to ensure implementation. implementation of the reforms planned in the program, carried out last July.
The debt of poor countries was at the heart of discussions during the annual meetings of the Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, the first to be held on the African continent since 1973.