Sudan will introduce a new currency this week as the country marks the second anniversary of the signing of the north-south peace deal. The Sudanese pound will replace the dinar that was introduced in 1992. It will be introduced to the south first where five currencies are currently in circulation.
South Sudan's Vice-President Riek Machar said the currency would be commonly known in the south as "the Sudani".
"The currency will help us - we will now have an index for our economy; we'll know how our economy is growing," said Machar.Many Sudanese southerners regard the dinar as a symbol of "Arabization" by the former government.
The currency conversion, that is expected to cost about $150 million, was agreed as part of the peace agreement between the government and southern rebels.
The conflict, which was Africa's longest-running civil war pitted the Muslim north against Christians and animists in the south, leaving some 1.5 million people dead.
President Omar al-Bashir said there were aspects of the peace agreement that were yet to be implemented, such as establishing an administration for the oil-rich region of Abyei, and distributing oil revenues to the south.
Question: Is the introduction of the Sudani a step in the right direction for Sudan?
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