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Sudan accepted economic assistance from UAE, Russia, Turkey: oil minister
Sudan's oil minister, Azhari Abdel Qader is seen during a ceremony marking the restarting of crude oil pumping at the Unity oil fields in South Sudan, January 21, 2019. PHOTO BY REUTERS/Samir Bol
By Khalid Abdelaziz
23/01/2019
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan, rocked by anti-government protests for over a month, has received economic assistance from the United Arab Emirates and accepted offers of support from Russia and Turkey, Oil Minister Azhari Abdel Qader said on Wednesday.
"We received assistance from the United Arab Emirates," he said. "And Russia and Turkey offered us assistance including fuel, wheat and others, and we accepted it as a normal matter between friendly countries in light of the current circumstances that Sudan is going through."
The minister did not give details on the scale or timing of the support.
Sudan has seen near-daily protests since Dec. 19, amid worsening economic conditions and calls for an end to President Omar al-Bashir's 30-year rule.
Bashir met with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha on Wednesday during his first trip abroad since the protests began.
Bashir and Qatar's emir discussed "the current economic crisis experienced by Sudan and Sudan's efforts to get out of the crisis and the role of [our] brothers in general, and Qatar in particular, to help Sudan," said Foreign Minister Al-Dirdiri Mohamed Ahmed.
"Qatar reiterated its firm and continuous support for Sudan," he said, speaking to reporters at Khartoum airport after Bashir's return from Qatar.
(Reporting Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Yousef Saba; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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