FRANCE, GERMANY VOW TO HELP SUDAN PAY OFF DEBT TO IMF

France and Germany offered to help crisis-stricken Sudan sort out its finances on the margins of an international summit aimed at garnering support for Khartoum's fledgling transitional government, Christian Boehmer reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

After starting the ball rolling by offering a $1.5-billion bridging loan, France upped the ante later in the day by offering to forgive about $5 billion in bilateral loans to Sudan.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the goal is to free Sudan of its debt load. France holds the greatest share of Sudanese debt of any member of the so-called Paris Club of rich nations.

Germany, meanwhile, pledged to take over 90 million euros (109.34 million dollars) worth of Sudanese International Monetary Fund (IMF) liabilities. Berlin is also offering 390 million euros' worth of bilateral debt relief.

The Paris aid conference follows on from a meeting in Berlin last year, at which the international community pledged around 1.8 billion dollars in aid. "This contribution demonstrates the strength of our partnership and the trust we have in Sudan," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said alongside Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, after the initial offer of the bridging loan.

Macron, who is hosting the event, stated his strong support for the new government, noting that the revolution that toppled the former government "was no coincidence of history," but one that had long roots in the Sudanese people's fight for freedom and dignity.

He said it was important now to make sure all political actors have their voices heard in the country and made a special nod to the young. Other countries can only offer advice, he said, arguing that Sudan must now chart its own fate.

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