Sudan Says China Waived $50m Loan Amid War and Western Sanctions

What happened

Al Jazeera Sudan reports that China and Sudan signed an agreement waiving $50 million in loans to Sudan, effective immediately. The official Sudanese news agency SUNA detailed that the waiver cancels four interest-free loans totaling 344 million yuan, roughly $50 million. Sudan’s Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim welcomed China’s move, emphasizing Chinese investment continuity through the war while Western governments have largely withheld support.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. This financial relief comes three years into a brutal conflict between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces, which the United Nations estimates has shrunk the country’s economy by around 40 percent. The war has also resulted in massive displacement—about 14 million people, or a quarter of Sudan’s population, uprooted—and more than 1.5 million deaths, according to UN figures cited by Al Jazeera. Access to basic services is critically impaired, with the WHO reporting fewer than 14 percent of health facilities functioning.

China’s decision fits its broader strategy in Africa, where it has provided frequent loan forgiveness as a diplomatic tactic, including waivers of smaller, interest-free loans across the continent totaling billions over two decades. Unlike larger commercial loans, these smaller loans are easier to waive and serve to maintain China’s influence during periods of instability and Western disengagement.

Known from the source

• China and Sudan signed an agreement waiving $50 million in loans, cancelling four interest-free loans totaling about 344 million yuan.
• The waiver was announced by Sudan’s official news agency SUNA and confirmed by Al Jazeera Sudan.
• Sudan’s Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim welcomed the waiver and highlighted Western governments’ withholding of support.
• Sudan’s economy has contracted approximately 40 percent since the outbreak of the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces.
• Around 14 million Sudanese people have been displaced due to the war, according to the United Nations.

What remains unclear

Sudan’s overall external debt exceeded $56 billion before the war and has likely increased since. The $50 million waived by China is less than 1 percent of this total. Previously, Sudan was close to having a substantial portion of its debt forgiven through the IMF and World Bank’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative, but the military coup in October 2021 derailed these prospects. The ongoing conflict and sanctions limit Khartoum’s access to international financial support.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verification of casualty and displacement figures as no independent confirmation beyond UN estimates is given. Confirm details on the loan agreement wording and whether any other loans or financial aid accompanied the waiver. Clarify any specifics on how China plans to support post-war rebuilding as reportedly stated by China’s charge d’affaires.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Al Jazeera Sudan. Open the source.