West ups pressure on Sudan to set up credible government

Senior western officials say Sudan needs credible government in place in order to receive international aid.

CAIRO - International financial support for Sudan, including debt relief, can only follow the establishment of a credible civilian government, senior officials from major western nations said on Friday.

Without that support, Sudan might lose billions of dollars in development assistance from the World Bank, the officials from France, Germany, Norway, Britain, the United States and the European Union said in a joint statement after a visit to Khartoum.

Sudan's IMF programme and $19 billion in associated debt relief would also be imperilled, they said.