Recommendation to Conduct Trade Deals with Various Countries to Avoid U.S. Sanctions
Sudan Events – Rehab Abdullah
Economic advisor Dr. Abu Bakr Al-Tijani downplayed the effectiveness of some economists’ calls for the Sudanese government to pivot eastward to avoid the impact of U.S. sanctions on Sudan.
Dr. Al-Tijani explained to Al-Ahdath that shifting towards China and Russia is unlikely to yield significant results, noting that during the previous period of U.S. sanctions, numerous attempts were made to foster economic cooperation with the East (China and Russia), but these efforts had limited impact.
He attributed this to the fact that these countries have far greater interests with the United States than with Sudan and are therefore not willing to undermine their relationship with the U.S. for Sudan’s sake. He added, “In other words, they may cooperate with Sudan within the scope of their interests, but will still maintain their economic ties with the U.S., meaning that such cooperation will never meet our expectations, no matter what we offer.”
Al-Tijani argued that the solution lies in entering into trade deals with various countries (both for exports and imports), and agreeing with them on specific payment methods to circumvent U.S. sanctions. He stressed that this should be accompanied by efforts to boost the productivity of Sudan’s agricultural, livestock, and mineral resources, and to combat smuggling by offering competitive prices for these products—whether through the creation of special portfolios or companies to purchase them, or, if necessary, through deficit financing, including money printing—while mitigating inflationary effects through a set of domestic measures such as encouraging savings.
He noted that the more Sudan’s offers in commodity markets—where it has a strong comparative advantage (e.g., gum arabic)—dominate or hold a competitive edge globally, the more likely countries would rush to cooperate with Sudan. He concluded, “Eventually, even the United States itself will come to us.”
