Sudan declares economic emergency as currency plunges
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok addresses the press after meeting with his Egyptian counterpart (unseen) in Sudan's capital Khartoum, on August 15, 2020.
In a Thursday press conference, Finance Minister Heba Ali blamed the sharp dollar rise on "systematic sabotage" by currency exchange market manipulators, official news agency SUNA reported.
The crisis was further aggravated by weeks-long virus lockdown measures in the capital Khartoum and neighbouring cities.
Gold is Sudan's leading export item, and 93 tonnes were produced in 2018, but the country is a victim of massive smuggling of the precious metal.
Khartoum,
Sudan has declared a state of emergency to avert economic downturn due to the dramatic fall of its local currency against the US dollar and soaring inflation.
