The Auditor General… Your Disappearance Won’t Help You!

Reckoning 

Adil Al-Baz

Our Auditor General audits but never retreats, and he pays no attention to public opinion, as though he were managing a private estate he inherited.

Mr. Auditor General, the public demands that you disclose the funds that were looted and identify those responsible. People want to know which companies continue to waste millions of dollars on failed projects while carrying on with the same reckless practices.

The Sudanese people hold the Auditor General responsible for concealing the names of dozens of businessmen who plundered banks and then fled the country, investing the stolen funds in neighboring states.

The public is also asking about banks whose non-performing assets have reached trillions of pounds—with the Nilein Bank serving as a prime example—and what has been done to recover depositors’ money. People also want to know the truth about the looting that took place in the Cotton Company.

Imagine a government-owned company whose director appointed twenty-two advisers who advise on nothing, never set foot in the company’s headquarters, and each remains comfortably entrenched in Cairo, collecting thousands of dollars every month. Believe it or not.

The struggling Sudanese people would also like to know the fate of tons of gold exported from the country by well-known companies, with none of the proceeds having been repatriated as of the writing of this article on Tuesday evening, June 10, 2026.

Imagine that all these calamities are buried within the Auditor General’s hidden report. The entire nation has an interest in knowing about these disasters, which are effectively being concealed through the failure to publish the report. Yes, all the people want to know—except for Mr. Osman Mirghani, who apparently believes that it is not important for the public to have access to such facts. Tell me, is Osman a journalist defending the people, or a lawyer defending betrayal?

2. The Agricultural Season

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that up to 40 percent of this agricultural season’s crops could be lost if farmers do not receive the necessary support.

Year after year, Sudan faces the same agricultural crises it has confronted since time immemorial. Why? Because our successive governments know nothing about planning, and every season seems to catch them by surprise.

It is well known that each agricultural season is confronted by three main challenges: financing, agricultural inputs, and fuel.

What is so difficult about providing local-currency financing to farmers two months before the season begins? What is the problem with the Agricultural Bank importing fertilizer and jute sacks through specialized companies three months ahead of schedule? And what prevents the Ministry of Energy from securing fuel supplies at least a month before the season starts?

Just yesterday, the Minister of Energy announced that fuel would be made available for agriculture in Gedaref. Fine—but what about fertilizer, whose prices have doubled following the Gulf conflict? And at what prices will fuel actually be provided?

I do not know why what we call a “scarecrow” is referred to as a government—a government that controls nothing, plans nothing, and does nothing at the proper time.

3. Gold Sector Developments

I was encouraged by the broad activity undertaken by the relevant authorities regarding the gold sector. Within a single week, we witnessed two important meetings: one chaired by the Prime Minister, and another involving the Minister of Minerals, Nour Al-Daim, and the Central Bank Governor, Amna Mirghani. Both meetings sought to regulate the gold sector with the aim of increasing revenues by reducing waste and preventing smuggling.

The weakness of these efforts is that they remain largely ad hoc. There is no central coordinating body, nor are they linked to a publicly announced action plan with clear timelines. It would be far better for the government to establish a National Gold Council to coordinate all efforts, instead of allowing responsibilities to be pulled in different directions by the Ministry of Minerals, the Central Bank, and the Ministry of Finance.

As things stand, the Prime Minister is convening another meeting for the same purpose with the very individuals already brought together by the Minister of Minerals.

Without proper organization, clearly defined responsibilities, and a transparent roadmap for implementation and achievement, these efforts will remain fragmented and ultimately unproductive.