Launching of the additional grant of US$ 5 million, as financing of the Sudan ’REDD + Readiness phase

. The event was organized by the National Corporation for Forests, on NCF, on Thursday 12th April 2018 at the Grand Holiday Villa in Khartoum in the presence of top officials and forests experts, International organizations representatives, representatives of Universities and institutes.
Sudan Vision seized the opportunity and conducted an exclusive interview with, Ms. Dora Cudjoe, Senior Environmental specialist, at the World Bank Group – Environment and Natural resources; she is the World Bank task team leader to shed light on the occasion.


Q: Ms, Dora, you are welcome in Sudan and Sudan, Vision; we would like you to highlight on this additional financing of Sudan REDD?
A: Yes, thank you Sudan Vision for this opportunity, we have of course been working efficiently with the government since 2014. It is not me,  it is a team comprises ,as we have some work in Ghana ,  myself I racy hard, we have so far as world bank team leader. Today we launched the additional financing, by launching the additional financing. We have now space of more money to support this project.
Q: As we know the REDD/Sudan project started in 2015, your comment?
A: Yes, the project had started inn 2015-2018, the first one was US$ 3, 8 million, now we additional support of more money of US$ 5 million so that is unformal ,but it is not sufficient to support the forest  national management , from the stand of the REDD ‘Readiness . so I will say , this is a very happy day for the World  Bank , for Sudan Government .We hope this is a beginning for more work in that way we are looking for it .
Q: To what do believe that Sudan can benefit from such financings?
A:  Absolutely, Sudan had already benefited significantly, and as I said at the meeting today, the work involve a very cooperative formula of studies, now investment in the REDD and in forests and national resources, so   most of the activities and that is the first things are working toward developing REDD strategy, and by strategy I mean an approach, and now lining up investment opportunities, and looking out for other resources, can support Sudan to implement it. We here also to support the national forest in vestry which is a very critical zone for Sudan, building the data base on your forests sector, in the national resources sector, to help inform the government on allocation of resources to be management, and of course if you do not know what you have, you cannot manage it well, so we hope that the national forests office to have Sudan understand the strategy of Sudan REDD plans, the government can put more resources, so Sudan is already benefited from that financing.
Q: As we all know that Sudan looks like that small image of Africa with its all different potentials, how could you see that?
A: As I said it today , in my speech , absolutely right because , I told you it has always  a bit of beech of richness across Africa .Sudan has different types of forests statistic , mango forests, mountain forests , has the see, you have some deserts , you have mining , you have a lot of rich resources. A  lot of livestock.  It is one of the richest countries in Africa that is why I said today, if we can get good lessons from the works we are doing here in Sudan. It can be used to inform as a bridge in Africa.
Q: Sudan, after lifting US last October, a noticeable influx of foreign investments   came to Sudan, how could you see the timing of this?
A: The timing is not good, for me I came to Sudan REDD’ readiness’s by the time we work to provide information to the investors. We want to provide a data base; we provide information suspense .We want to provide transparency.  Building transparency because you are better, building the knowledge required to inform efficiency .The best timing for investment is who are coming? To  put in straightforward. We need to work, and we need to work harder. 
Q: You compared between Sudan and Ghana in this field of REDD, in your speech addressing the launching of the additional financing?
A: Like as I said , the lands scape in Sudan  are relatively similar to the north region of Ghana , in terms of dry Sahelian, forests land beech , and another terms of comparison , we have in Ghana , the Shia butter  , and in Sudan you have Gum Arabic , similar in that kind of a tree . So we have good management for these resources in Ghana, and good management of Gum Arabic in Sudan, so I think the two resources can give us a lesson on how you manage the Gum Arabic and how you manage the Shia butter.
Q:  How could the see the partnerships between the government and the concerned bodies, like the international organization like the WB, civil society, etc.?
A: Absolutely, as I told you today and I showed in my presentation a picture of many hands , different hands  are working for the same goal , the partnership is very critical for what we are doing , for  the government, for the stake holders  , NOGS , development partners , we have different ministries , we  have at state level national NGOS , we have inclusive space  that we creating, every piece of work we have done , and showed that the consultation is not that some is sitting at the federal level , making decision , actually dig down . I feel that the space, I think that the government to help to bring on other partners for Sudan.
Q: The high level and top official presence in the occasion attending this additional financing, your comment?
A: I said to Sudan keep up doing good work , we are very keen partners to development agenda in Sudan , represent in national forests , I appreciate very much the partnership , we think that the government is opened , transparent and allows new ideas to be brought in , and also the  government has to share the experience . We really appreciate the work on environment that is critical to us, to work collaboratively, and we hope this is the beginning of investment, we extend congratulations to.
Q: The World Bank, and its cooperation with Sudan, how could see it?
A: Yes, like what as I showed you on the picture, when I came first to Sudan, my attitude i did not know what I expect to succeed. But I came I met and thank Sayda Khalil, the coordinator and her team in REDD Sudan. Really we appreciate the comrade; I believe that Sayda as a coordinator of the project and her team, and the government, Sayda has a mind to do. She has full support to work from the minis try, from the government, this good relation is not the National Forests Corporation NFC, the leadership at the ministry of agriculture and forests. Good relationships always help programs to succeed.