By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM

Sudan is unable to benefit from the lifting of the longstanding U.S. sanctions, Sudan's minister of finance said on Tuesday.

Addressing a news conference in Khartoum, Mohamed Osman Alrikabi said that his country still has no access to the financial global system despite the lifting of the sanctions.

Alrikabi pointed out international banks and financial institutions are still hesitating to deal with Sudan. “Most of them are still waiting for specific steps from the U.S. to feel that there are guarantees to deal with Sudan.”

“Those who talk about the benefits and the positive effects of sanctions lifting, let me tell them that the results of sanctions lifting have not yet appeared.

“We can’t talk about this benefit before we can reintegrate our economy with the international economy, receiving and sending international correspondence and get credentials from the international banks and the big financial institutions,” the minister asserted.

Washington has lifted two decades of economic sanctions imposed on Sudan on Oct. 6th, but the country is still on the U.S. list of countries sponsoring the terrorism.