Port Sudan/Kampala, August 13 (Darfur24)
The Central Bank of Sudan’s order requiring banks to update customer data and freeze accounts that fail to comply within two months has raised concerns that millions of people in conflict-affected areas could lose access to their money and banking services.
The Central Bank said the measure is aimed at strengthening monitoring of financial transactions and combating money laundering and terrorist financing. It requires banks to update customer information and suspend or freeze accounts that do not meet the requirements within the deadline.
The Kordofan Observatory warned that the decision could particularly affect residents of Darfur and Kordofan, where many people rely on Bankak, the mobile banking application operated by Bank of Khartoum, for transfers, remittances and purchasing basic goods.
The observatory said Bank of Khartoum had instructed customers to visit branches to update their information, but most operating branches are located in areas controlled by the Sudanese army. It warned that residents in Rapid Support Forces-controlled areas face major security risks and practical difficulties in travelling to those areas.
The observatory said freezing accounts could also disrupt remittances from relatives abroad, which have become a vital source of income for many families.
It called on the Central Bank to establish data-update centres in Darfur and Kordofan and provide safe mechanisms for customers to complete the procedures without travelling through conflict zones.
The observatory also warned that continued restrictions could encourage authorities in RSF-controlled areas to establish parallel financial systems, deepening Sudan’s economic and institutional division.
It urged the parties to keep banking and essential economic services separate from the military conflict and work toward a unified monetary system that allows banking services to operate across the country.