World Bank Halts Sudan Operations in Blow to Coup Leaders, Strike Calls Gain More Support

A protester waves a flag during what the information ministry calls a military coup in Khartoum, Sudan, October 25, 2021. (Reuters)
A protester waves a flag during what the information ministry calls a military coup in Khartoum, Sudan, October 25, 2021. (Reuters)
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World Bank Halts Sudan Operations in Blow to Coup Leaders, Strike Calls Gain More Support

A protester waves a flag during what the information ministry calls a military coup in Khartoum, Sudan, October 25, 2021. (Reuters)
A protester waves a flag during what the information ministry calls a military coup in Khartoum, Sudan, October 25, 2021. (Reuters)

The World Bank halted disbursements for operations in Sudan on Wednesday in response to the military’s seizure of power from a transitional government, while state oil company workers, doctors and pilots joined civilian groups opposing the takeover.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets since Monday’s coup led by armed forces chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and several have been killed in clashes with security forces.

Burhan has dismissed the joint civilian-military council that was set up to steer the country to democratic elections following the overthrow of longtime president Omar al-Bashir in a popular uprising in April 2019.

He claimed he acted to stop the country slipping into civil war, but the World Bank decision to pause payments and stop processing new operations is a setback to his plans for one of Africa’s poorest countries.

After isolation from the international financing system across three decades of Bashir’s rule, Sudan achieved full re-engagement with the bank in March and gained access to $2 billion in financing.

“I am greatly concerned by recent events in Sudan, and I fear the dramatic impact this can have on the country´s social and economic recovery and development,” World Bank President David Malpass said in a statement from Washington.

“We hope that peace and the integrity of the transition process will be restored, so that Sudan can restart its path of economic development and can take its rightful place in the international financial community,” he said.

Abdalla Hamdok, prime minister in the deposed transitional government, had touted World Bank re-engagement as a major accomplishment and was depending on the funding for several large development projects.

The government had instituted harsh economic reforms that succeeded in achieving rapid arrears clearance and debt relief and renewed financing from the World Bank and IMF.

March of millions
Scattered protests took place in Khartoum on Wednesday although no new bloodshed was reported.

In one Khartoum neighborhood, a Reuters journalist saw soldiers and armed people in civilian clothes removing barricades erected by protesters. A few hundred meters away, youths build barricades again minutes later.

“We want civilian rule. We won’t get tired,” one said.

In the northeastern city of Atbara, protesters marched and chanted “Down with the military regime”.

Neighborhood committees announced plans for further protests leading to what they said would be a “march of millions” on Saturday.

Workers at state oil company Sudapet said they were joining the civil disobedience campaign to back the stalled democratic transition.

Pilots from national carrier Sudan Airways have gone on strike, their union said, as have pilots from local carriers Badr and Tarco Airlines. Central Bank employees have also stopped work in a further setback for the functioning of the economy.

Doctors belonging to the Unified Doctors’ Office group of unions also said they were striking. The doctors were one of the driving forces behind the 2019 uprising that brought down Bashir.

Power-sharing between the military and civilians had been increasingly strained over issues including whether to send Bashir and others to the International Criminal Court, where they are wanted for alleged atrocities in Darfur. Military commanders now leading Sudan also served in Darfur.

Speaking on Tuesday at his first news conference since announcing the takeover, Burhan said the army had no choice but to sideline politicians who he said were inciting people against the armed forces.

Hamdok was detained on Monday but has since been released.



Israeli Defense Minister Orders Army Plan for ‘Complete Defeat of Hamas’

Israeli soldiers are seen in a tunnel that the military says was used by Hamas to attack the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, December 15, 2023. (AP)
Israeli soldiers are seen in a tunnel that the military says was used by Hamas to attack the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, December 15, 2023. (AP)
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Israeli Defense Minister Orders Army Plan for ‘Complete Defeat of Hamas’

Israeli soldiers are seen in a tunnel that the military says was used by Hamas to attack the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, December 15, 2023. (AP)
Israeli soldiers are seen in a tunnel that the military says was used by Hamas to attack the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, December 15, 2023. (AP)

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday directed the military to quickly prepare a comprehensive plan for the total defeat of Hamas in Gaza if ongoing ceasefire talks fail to secure the release of hostages by the time incoming US president Donald Trump enters the White House on January 20.

Katz said his instruction to present the plans came Thursday during a night assessment with Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and other top officers.

“We must not be drawn into a war of attrition that will cost us heavily and not lead to victory and the complete strategic defeat of Hamas and the end of the war in Gaza, while the hostages remain in the tunnels with their lives in danger and while they suffer severely,” Katz said.

The Israeli minister then asked the Army to “specify the issues that might make it difficult to carry out the plan, including the humanitarian issue and other issues, and leave it to the political echelon to make the necessary decisions,” according to a statement by his office.

He also “emphasized that the matter of the political solution to Gaza is not relevant to the issue of the plan and the activity required now, because no Arab or other party will take responsibility for managing civilian life in Gaza as long as Hamas is not completely crushed.”

It remains unclear what Israel means by “complete defeat.” Israel had set two main goals through its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip: The elimination of Hamas's military infrastructure and the end of the group’s rule in the Strip.

Israeli military correspondent for the Israeli Army Radio Doron Kadosh said Katz believes the army has not yet acted properly to defeat Hamas, and has been dragged into a war of attrition.

“It remains unclear what plan the Army will present to Katz with the aim of completely defeating Hamas. But in closed discussions, the Army clearly states that in the absence of an alternative to Hamas’ rule, it would be impossible to overthrow the Movement.”

According to Kadosh, the Army could possibly deploy three more military units in the Gaza Strip, with a mission to carry out a ground maneuver simultaneously in several areas.

Similar to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Katz believes there is currently no room for Israel to present an alternative to Hamas rule in Gaza.

The Israeli army fears that a plan to defeat Hamas based on deepening its ground maneuvers in areas in the middle of the Strip could lead to the deaths of hostages. Therefore, the army most likely would focus on changing its aid policy in the Strip.

Israel is considering limiting humanitarian aid to Gaza after Donald Trump comes into office later this month in a bid to deprive Hamas of resources, according to an Israeli official familiar with the matter.

Doha talks

Meanwhile in the Qatari capital, Doha, meditators are trying to push for a deal before the arrival of Trump, who warned that “all hell will break out in the Middle East” if Hamas does not release the hostages by the time he is inaugurated.

Sources say mediators are making real progress in reaching a deal, but some issues still need to be resolved.

The Israeli government's hostage and missing persons coordinator, Brig. Gen. Gal Hirsch said on Thursday that the deal being discussed would include the return of all the hostages. However, he noted that it would be implemented in stages.

The official explained that the discussions that are currently being conducted pertain only to the first stage of the deal.

Sources familiar with the details of the deal told Yedioth Ahronoth the negotiations are not at an impasse despite the challenges.

They noted that talks are progressing, but every resolved issue leads Hamas to reopen previously agreed matters.

Additionally, communication difficulties between Hamas’ external leadership and its de facto leader in Gaza Mohammed Sinwar are reportedly complicating the process.

The newspaper said Hamas has so far refused to provide a list of live hostages and mediators are working to bridge this gap.

Israel continues to insist that no progress can be made without such a list.

Moreover, the newspaper wrote, Hamas' refusal to disclose in advance who among the hostages on the list provided by Israel to mediators in July is alive or dead is seen by officials as a tactic to maximize Palestinian prisoner releases in exchange for as few live hostages as possible.

Conversely, a senior Palestinian official told Reuters that Israel has introduced a new condition, insisting on maintaining a one-kilometer-wide military presence in the eastern and southern parts of Gaza, along the Philadelphi Corridor.

“This will hinder residents from returning to their homes and constitutes a backtrack on previously agreed terms,” the official claimed.

Yedioth Ahronoth said mediators and Israel now hope the presence of Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Qatar might inject fresh momentum, pressuring Hamas to realize that Trump is serious about his threats against them if the hostages aren’t released.