Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil Idris met Minerals Minister Nour al-Daim Taha in Khartoum on September 22 to review the country’s participation in a recent international mining conference in Tianjin, China, according to the government. Taha said about 70 companies from China and other countries had expressed interest in investing in Sudan’s mining sector during discussions on the conference sidelines. The government account describes expressions of interest and understandings, not signed investment contracts, approved projects or committed financing.

Idris directed officials to accelerate organization of traditional, or artisanal, mining and improve oversight of gold production. He also ordered the creation of a Sudan Centre for Mining and Earth Sciences, intended to train and qualify personnel, coordinate training with other countries and raise staff capacity at the Minerals Ministry. The government said relevant bodies were instructed to provide the centre with resources. It did not publish a budget, launch date, staffing plan or schedule for the regulatory measures. The meeting also discussed implementation of recent cabinet decisions on economic reforms.