Restoration of Sudan’s ship fleet to take years

Sudan’s business community has to wait at least two years for the country to rebuild its merchant fleet and main sea port.

More than two decades of US sanctions have severely impacted the economy in Sudan.

Among the casualties has been the country’s fleet of 15 ships that used to sail into Port Sudan; when the embargo cut off Sudan’s supply of spare parts, repairs on the ships became impossible, and they had to be sold off.

The sanctions have been lifted, but the government says rebuilding the fleet could take years, as could modernising Port Sudan.

Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reports from Port Sudan.