Sudan expects to return to economic growth this year at near one percent of gross domestic product, its finance minister said on Monday.
The government expected growth to expand gradually in the coming years, Jibril Ibrahim told an event hosted by the International Monetary Fund, citing economic reforms which he said had begun to bear fruit.
The country has been suffering from shortages of wheat and fuel oil for power generation due to a three-week blockade of its main port by tribal protesters, endangering the country’s already faulty electricity supply.
Tensions between Sudan’s military and civilian leaders have been running high in recent weeks, and some civilian figures have accused the military of playing a role in the Beja tribe’s blockade of Port Sudan, surrounding roads and fuel pipelines.
Military leaders have denied any involvement, and Beja leaders say they are protesting to draw attention to economic and political issues affecting the eastern tribe.
In Khartoum, queues for bread have reappeared in recent days and there have been shortages of imported flour.
The government would redistribute wheat stocks located in the country’s Northern State to bolster supplies elsewhere, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Khalid Omer Yousif said in a statement.
Diesel supplies have also been affected by the blockade but petrol supplies remain stable, the statement added.
On Friday, the United States, Britain and Norway backed Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government in urging political talks to resolve the protests.
