Sharjah 24 – AFP: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Sudanese leaders in calls Monday that the country needs to make more progress on democracy before Washington resumes $700 million in suspended aid.

"This is the first step. It's not the last step," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, describing Blinken's conversations a day after the reinstatement of the civilian prime minister.

Price said there was no resumption of assistance, adding, "These decisions will be predicated entirely on what happens in the coming hours and the coming days and the coming weeks."