Country Profile of Sudan

Most opposition parties boycotted the vote. Mr Bashir faces two international arrest warrants - issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague - on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The private press carries opposition views, but the state uses its powers to influence what is published.

But Downing St sources say ministers will not grant time for the vote, labelling it "silly political games". Sudan country profile 8 January Republic of Sudan Capital: Related Topics Sudan Omar al-Bashir. N'Djamena in and , and Khartoum in From mid, the intensity of the cross-border conflict declined, as the armed groups remained highly fragmented and other events took priority, i. Saudi Arabia became a popular place for Sudanese to seek employment. Consequently, Saudi Arabia provides the highest level of remittances to Sudan. In Sudan began supporting Saudi Arabia in its military campaign in Yemen, in exchange for financial support.

The hybrid African Union and UN mission was implemented in There are 74 airports in Sudan, and 16 are paved. It is predominantly unpaved. The most important road is the highway from Khartoum to Port Sudan. It is predominantly narrow gauge and single-track. The vast majority of the network is in poor condition and non-operational. Where functioning, it is for cargo only and transit speed is at best 35 km per hour. The demise of the rail network started in the s as a result of funding cuts.

Passenger trains were suspended in due to lack of funding. In the President announced plans to restore the rail service. There are 4,km of waterways, 1,km of which are open year- round. River transport is for cargo only: The Sudanese Government directly controls television broadcasting.

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There are four main channels, mostly viewed in the more affluent parts of urban areas. Radio remains a primary news source. The state runs the main radio media outlets. There are a number of private outlets in Khartoum, most of which focus on entertainment. Radio is widely listened to across Sudan on shortwave while satellite broadcasts are confined to larger cities. Most print media is state-owned, or owned by people with close ties to the government.

All newspapers are severely restricted by state surveillance: Distribution is largely limited to Khartoum. It is estimated that fewer than , newspapers are sold daily. Internet service is available in most of the main towns and cities. Internet usage is heavily censored by government surveillance. Sudan's internet users dropped from In the number of telephone subscribers dropped to Large-scale humanitarian response has been ongoing in Darfur since conflict escalated in In however, 16 humanitarian agencies were expelled from Darfur following the arrest warrant issued to President al Bashir by the ICC.

Humanitarian agencies have since been allowed re-entry, but remain subject to strict government regulations. Restrictions are often applied arbitrarily, resulting in unpredictable and fluctuating levels of access. In addition to restrictive government policies and bureaucratic processes, the operating environment for humanitarian organisations in Sudan is highly complex due to both physical and security constraints. The largest presence of humanitarian agencies is in North Darfur.

In total in Darfur there are organisations with over 7, staff. Seasonal floods are common in Sudan and typically occur during the peak rainy season between August and September. By January floods normally recede. Flash flooding occurs as a result of heavy rains and the overflowing of the Nile and its tributaries. The frequency of flooding has increased dramatically over the past 20 years and the eastern and southern parts of Sudan have been particularly affected by floods.

The increase is largely linked to desertification both in Sudan and in neighbouring Ethiopia, where there is a high level of overgrazing along the banks of the Blue Nile. Dramatically affects crop production and livestock and consequently food insecurity. Although all states have been affected in the past, the impact of drought is often most severe in the central and northern states.

The most dominant cause of drought has been global warming, although local factors including deforestation and overgrazing across Sudan have exacerbated the problem? Drought, overgrazing, and heavy land cultivation has intensified desertification in Sudan, impacting upon livelihoods and food security.

Research indicates that there has been a southward shift in desert climate of approximately km over 40 years. Shrinking pasture is increasing competition and threating livelihoods among pastoralists. The competition over grazing space and changing migration patterns are increasing the risk of conflict between different groups. Conflict in areas of Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile also severely disrupts livelihood activities and trade. Sudan faces one of the largest and most protracted food security crises in the world.

High food prices, ongoing conflict and periods of drought and heavy flooding are the main drivers of food insecurity. IDPs in conflict-affected areas of Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile are among those most affected, as are poor urban households who rely solely on markets. Food insecurity is at its worst during the lean season, between May and September. There are approximately 1. Health services are provided by the Ministry of Health as well as the armed forces and private companies. NGOs also play a significant role in delivering health services, both independently and through direct collaboration with the state authorities.

Despite a decentralised policy, healthcare is heavily centralised. There is a lack of trained medical staff, and more than one-third of the health workforce is located in Khartoum. The overall density of the healthcare workforce is estimated to be 1. The WHO benchmark of a critical shortage is 2. Sudan has an under-five mortality rate of Neonatal mortality is among the highest in the region and the world, at 30 per 1, live births. It has fallen from 37 deaths per 1, live births 20 years ago.

Maternal deaths are higher among poor, rural, and nomadic populations. More than one out of three women experience prolonged labour and one in four suffer from excessive bleeding. Mental health services in the country are poorly developed and under-resourced. Facilities are scarce, even in major cities, and there is a chronic shortage of health professionals. Mental health services do not exist at a primary level.

As of there are 0. There are no community care facilities for people experiencing psychiatric disorders due to a lack of social workers and poor health education. Routine vaccination coverage has improved significantly following a series of mass vaccination campaigns that began in The prevalance of HIV in the population is 0. The baseline indicator shows that there are In , over 3, children under 14 were living with HIV. Sudan is considered to have a high tuberculosis burden with a case rate of 88 per , people. The Sudan National Malaria Control Programme reduced the number of malaria cases from more than seven million in to less than 3.

Malaria remains, however, a primary health concern. It is a main cause of death in children under five. The vast majority of cases occur following heavy rains, in the central, south and south west and east of the country. The incidence rate of malaria was reported at The prevalance rate increased from 3. Measles outbreaks in Sudan are common, and there are usually between and reported cases a year.

The last measles outbreak began in late , and recorded five times the usual number of cases: The outbreak was largely due to insufficient vaccination coverage in certain areas. Poverty, limited food access, and high prevalence of disease are the main causes of high malnutrition rates in Sudan. Two million children suffer from chronic malnutrition.

Some of the reasons for the high level of malnutrition include lack of breastmilk during a baby's first six months, a common practice of open defecation leading to disease, and a large number of young mothers who give birth to low-weight babies. Acute malnutrition levels have remained virtually unchanged since , and nutrition surveys have revealed that the nutrition situation has not improved in any significant way over the past 25 years. Of the one million children suffering from acute malnutrition, , were reported to suffer from severe acute malnutrition SAM at the end of Chronic underdevelopment severely restricts access to water and sanitation facilities.

This is exacerbated by conflict and periods of drought. Large disparities exist between urban and rural populations. In Sudan, sanitation coverage is one of the worst globally. The general level of hygiene is low, but especially in rural areas, and in Kassala state. There is inadequate awareness of the need for sanitary living.

Incidence of waterborne diseases is high, and there is little awareness of vector control. There are no government laws or legislation in place for the management of solid waste. Outside of Khartoum there are no waste collection or disposal facilities, presenting significant environmental and health concerns. Inside Khartoum, 4, metric tons of solid waste is produced daily.

Conflict in Darfur causes regular influxes of IDPs to camps, resulting in overcrowding and additional shelter needs. Environmental degradation and ongoing conflict hinders availability and access to fuel: Sudan frequently faces sudden spikes in fuel prices due to shortages: After a power struggle amongst his deputies, Abdallahi ibn Muhammad , with the help primarily of the Baggara of western Sudan, overcame the opposition of the others and emerged as unchallenged leader of the Mahdiyah.

After consolidating his power, Abdallahi ibn Muhammad assumed the title of Khalifa successor of the Mahdi, instituted an administration, and appointed Ansar who were usually Baqqara as emirs over each of the several provinces. Regional relations remained tense throughout much of the Mahdiyah period, largely because of the Khalifa's brutal methods to extend his rule throughout the country.

In , a 60,man Ansar army invaded Ethiopia , penetrating as far as Gondar. The failure of the Egyptian invasion broke the spell of the Ansar's invincibility. The Belgians prevented the Mahdi's men from conquering Equatoria , and in , the Italians repelled an Ansar attack at Agordat in Eritrea and forced the Ansar to withdraw from Ethiopia. In the s, the British sought to re-establish their control over Sudan, once more officially in the name of the Egyptian Khedive, but in actuality treating the country as a British colony.

Africa :: Sudan — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency

By the early s, British, French and Belgian claims had converged at the Nile headwaters. Britain feared that the other powers would take advantage of Sudan's instability to acquire territory previously annexed to Egypt. Apart from these political considerations, Britain wanted to establish control over the Nile to safeguard a planned irrigation dam at Aswan. Herbert Kitchener led military campaigns against the Mahdist Sudan from to Kitchener's campaigns culminated in a decisive victory in the Battle of Omdurman on 2 September In , Britain and Egypt reached an agreement under which Sudan was run by a governor-general appointed by Egypt with British consent.

In reality Sudan was effectively administered as a Crown colony. The British were keen to reverse the process, started under Muhammad Ali Pasha , of uniting the Nile Valley under Egyptian leadership, and sought to frustrate all efforts aimed at further uniting the two countries. Under the Delimitation, Sudan's border with Abyssinia was contested by raiding tribesmen trading slaves, breaching boundaries of law. In Local chieftain Sultan Yambio reluctant to the end gave up the struggle with British forces that had occupied the Kordofan region, finally ending the lawlessness.

The continued British administration of Sudan fuelled an increasingly strident nationalist backlash, with Egyptian nationalist leaders determined to force Britain to recognise a single independent union of Egypt and Sudan. They continued upon their insistence of a single Egyptian-Sudanese state even when the Sultanate of Egypt was retitled as the Kingdom of Egypt and Sudan , but it was Saad Zaghloul who continued to be frustrated in the ambitions until his death in From until independence in , the British had a policy of running Sudan as two essentially separate territories, the north and south.

The assassination of a Governor-General of Khartoum in Cairo was the causative factor; it brought demands of the newly elected Wafd government from colonial forces.

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A permanent establishment of two battalions in Khartoum was renamed the Sudan Defence Force acting as under the government, replacing the former garrison of Egyptian army soldiers, saw action afterwards during the Wal Wal Incident. Cotton and Gum exports were dwarfed by the necessity to import almost everything from Britain leading to a balance of payments deficit at Khartoum. They were able to find training facilities; and the RAF was free to fly over Egyptian territory. It did not however resolve the problem of Sudan: Mussolini made it clear that he could not invade Abyssinia without first conquering Egypt and the Sudan; they intended unification of Libya with Italian East Africa.

The British Imperial General Staff prepared for a military defence of the region, which was lamentably thin on the ground. But Mahmoud was a supporter of the Mufti of Jerusalem; the region was caught between the Empire's efforts to save the Jews, and moderate Arab calls to halt migration. Italian troops occupied Kassala and other border areas from Italian Somaliland during The last British governor-general was Robert George Howe. The Egyptian revolution of finally heralded the beginning of the march towards Sudanese independence.

Country Profile: Sudan

Having abolished the monarchy in , Egypt's new leaders, Mohammed Naguib , whose mother was Sudanese, and later Gamal Abdel Nasser , believed the only way to end British domination in Sudan was for Egypt to officially abandon its claims of sovereignty. In addition Nasser knew it would be difficult for Egypt to govern an impoverished Sudan after its independence. The British on the other hand continued their political and financial support for the Mahdist successor, Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi , whom it was believed would resist Egyptian pressure for Sudanese independence.

Rahman was capable of this, but his regime was plagued by political ineptitude, which garnered a colossal loss of support in northern and central Sudan. Both Egypt and Britain sensed a great instability fomenting, and thus opted to allow both Sudanese regions, north and south to have a free vote on whether they wished independence or a British withdrawal. A polling process was carried out resulting in composition of a democratic parliament and Ismail al-Azhari was elected first Prime Minister and led the first modern Sudanese government.

The coup leader, Col. Gaafar Nimeiry , became prime minister, and the new regime abolished parliament and outlawed all political parties. Disputes between Marxist and non-Marxist elements within the ruling military coalition resulted in a briefly successful coup in July , led by the Sudanese Communist Party.

Several days later, anti-communist military elements restored Nimeiry to power. In , the Addis Ababa Agreement led to a cessation of the north-south civil war and a degree of self-rule. This led to ten years hiatus in the civil war but less happily an end to American investment in the Jonglei Canal project. This had been considered absolutely essential to irrigate the Upper Nile region and to prevent an environmental catastrophe and wide-scale famine among the local tribes, most especially the Dinka.

In the civil war that followed their homeland was raided looted, pillaged and burned. Many of the tribe were murdered in a bloody civil war that raged for over 20 years. Until the early s, Sudan's agricultural output was mostly dedicated to internal consumption. In , the Sudanese government became more pro-Western, and made plans to export food and cash crops.

However, commodity prices declined throughout the s causing economic problems for Sudan. At the same time, debt servicing costs, from the money spent mechanizing agriculture, rose. This further promoted the mechanized export agriculture sector. This caused great hardship for the pastoralists of Sudan see Nuba peoples. In , the Ansars had mounted a bloody but unsuccessful coup attempt. But in July , President Nimeiry met with Ansar leader Sadiq al-Mahdi , opening the way for a possible reconciliation. Hundreds of political prisoners were released, and in August a general amnesty was announced for all oppositionists.

On 30 June , Colonel Omar al-Bashir led a bloodless military coup. The executive and legislative powers of the council were taken by al-Bashir. In the general election he was the only candidate by law to run for election. Al-Turabi's influence began to wane, others in favour of more pragmatic leadership tried to change Sudan's international isolation. Before the presidential election , al-Turabi introduced a bill to reduce the President's powers, prompting al-Bashir to order a dissolution and declare a state of emergency.

When al-Turabi urged a boycott of the President's re-election campaign signing agreement with Sudan People's Liberation Army , al-Bashir suspected they were plotting to overthrow the government. The peace agreement was a prerequisite to the referendum: After the peace agreement, their place was taken in February after the merger of the larger Hausa and Beja Congress with the smaller Rashaida Free Lions.

On 5 May , the Darfur Peace Agreement was signed, aiming at ending the three-year-long conflict. In July the country was hit by devastating floods , [] with over , people being directly affected. The Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile in the early s between the Army of Sudan and the Sudan Revolutionary Front started as a dispute over the oil-rich region of Abyei in the months leading up to South Sudanese independence, though it is also related to civil war in Darfur that is nominally resolved.

On January 13, , the president of the US, Barack Obama , signed an Executive Order that lifted many sanctions placed against Sudan and assets of its government held abroad. On October 6, , the following president of the US, Donald Trump , lifted most of the remaining sanctions against the country and its petroleum, export-import, and property industries.

The terrain is generally flat plains, broken by several mountain ranges. In the east are the Red Sea Hills. The White Nile within Sudan has no significant tributaries. There are several dams on the Blue and White Niles. There is also Lake Nubia on the Sudanese-Egyptian border. Rich mineral resources are available in Sudan including asbestos , chromite , cobalt , copper , gold , granite , gypsum , iron , kaolin , lead , manganese , mica , natural gas , nickel , petroleum , silver , tin , uranium and zinc.

The amount of rainfall increases towards the south. The central and the northern part have extremely dry desert areas such as the Nubian Desert to the northeast and the Bayuda Desert to the east; in the south there are swamps and rainforest. Sudan's rainy season lasts for about three months July to September in the north, and up to six months June to November in the south. The dry regions are plagued by sandstorms , known as haboob , which can completely block out the sun.

In the northern and western semi-desert areas, people rely on the scant rainfall for basic agriculture and many are nomadic , travelling with their herds of sheep and camels. Nearer the River Nile, there are well-irrigated farms growing cash crops. Desertification is a serious problem in Sudan. Agricultural expansion, both public and private, has proceeded without conservation measures. The consequences have manifested themselves in the form of deforestation , soil desiccation, and the lowering of soil fertility and the water table. The nation's wildlife is threatened by poaching.

As of , twenty-one mammal species and nine bird species are endangered, as well as two species of plants. Critically endangered species include: The Sahara oryx has become extinct in the wild. Officially, the politics of Sudan takes place in the framework of a federal presidential representative democratic republic , where the President of Sudan is head of state , head of government and commander-in-chief of the Sudan People's Armed Forces in a multi-party system.

Legislative power is vested in both the government and the bicameral parliament —the National Legislature , with its National Assembly lower chamber and the Council of States upper chamber. The judiciary is independent and obtained by the Constitutional Court. According to the new constitution, the bicameral National Legislature is the official Sudanese parliament and is divided between two chambers—the National Assembly, a lower house with seats, and the Council of States, an upper house with 50 seats. Thus the parliament consists of appointed members altogether, where all are indirectly elected by state legislatures to serve six-year terms.

The legal system in Sudan is based on Islamic Sharia law. The Naivasha Agreement , ending the civil war between north and south Sudan, established some protections for non-Muslims in Khartoum. Sudan's application of Sharia law is geographically inconsistent. Stoning remains a judicial punishment in Sudan. Between and , several women were sentenced to death by stoning. Between and , many people were sentenced to 40— lashes. Crucifixion is a legal punishment. In , 88 people were sentenced to death for crimes relating to murder, armed robbery, and participating in ethnic clashes, Amnesty International wrote that they could be executed by either hanging or crucifixion.

International Court of Justice jurisdiction is accepted, though with reservations. The judicial branch of the Sudanese government consists of a Constitutional Court of nine justices, the National Supreme Court, the Court of Cassation, [] and other national courts; the National Judicial Service Commission provides overall management for the judiciary. Sudan has had a troubled relationship with many of its neighbours and much of the international community, owing to what is viewed as its radical Islamic stance.

For much of the s, Uganda , Kenya and Ethiopia formed an ad-hoc alliance called the "Front Line States" with support from the United States to check the influence of the National Islamic Front government. As the National Islamic Front regime in Khartoum gradually emerged as a real threat to the region and the world, the U. After the US listed Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism, the NIF decided to develop relations with Iraq , and later Iran , the two most controversial countries in the region.

From the mids, Sudan gradually began to moderate its positions as a result of increased U. Sudan also has a territorial dispute with Egypt over the Hala'ib Triangle. Since , the foreign relations of Sudan had centered on the support for ending the Second Sudanese Civil War and condemnation of government support for militias in the war in Darfur.

Sudan has extensive economic relations with China. China obtains ten percent of its oil from Sudan. According to a former Sudanese government minister, China is Sudan's largest supplier of arms. In December , Sudan became one of the few states to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.

In , Sudan participated in the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against the Shia Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh , [] who was deposed in the uprising. The military of Sudan has become a well-equipped fighting force, thanks to increasing local production of heavy and advanced arms. These forces are under the command of the National Assembly and its strategic principles include defending Sudan's external borders and preserving internal security. While not official, the Sudanese military also uses nomad militias, the most prominent being the Janjaweed , in executing a counter-insurgency war.

Since Sudan has experienced civil war for many years, many non-governmental organisations NGOs are also involved in humanitarian efforts to help internally displaced people. The NGOs are working in every corner of Sudan, especially in the southern part and western parts. During the civil war, international nongovernmental organizations such as the Red Cross were operating mostly in the south but based in the capital Khartoum.

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Even though most of the international organizations are substantially concentrated in both South Sudan and Darfur region, some of them are working in the northern part as well. For example, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization is successfully operating in Khartoum , the capital.

It is mainly funded by the European Union and recently opened more vocational training. Since , a combination of civil war and famine has taken the lives of nearly 2 million people in Sudan. Sudan ranks of countries in terms of freedom of the press according to Reporters Without Borders , yet more curbs of press freedom to report official corruption are planned.

Muslims who convert to Christianity can face the death penalty for apostasy, see Persecution of Christians in Sudan and the death sentence against Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag who actually was raised as Christian. A letter dated 14 August , from the executive director of Human Rights Watch found that the Sudanese government is both incapable of protecting its own citizens in Darfur and unwilling to do so, and that its militias are guilty of crimes against humanity.

The letter added that these human-rights abuses have existed since State Department's human-rights report issued in March claims that " [a] ll parties to the conflagration committed serious abuses, including widespread killing of civilians, rape as a tool of war, systematic torture, robbery and recruitment of child soldiers.

Sudan country profile

Sympathizers of rebel groups are arbitrarily detained, as are foreign journalists, human-rights defenders , student activists and displaced people in and around Khartoum, some of whom face torture. The rebel groups have also been accused in a report issued by the U. Sudan is divided into 18 states wilayat , sing. They are further divided into districts.

In addition to the states, there also exist regional administrative bodies established by peace agreements between the central government and rebel groups. In , Sudan was considered the 17th-fastest-growing economy [] in the world and the rapid development of the country largely from oil profits even when facing international sanctions was noted by The New York Times in a article.

Even with the oil profits before the secession of South Sudan, Sudan still faced formidable economic problems, and its growth was still a rise from a very low level of per capita output. The economy of Sudan has been steadily growing over the s, and according to a World Bank report the overall growth in GDP in was 5. With rising oil revenues, the Sudanese economy was booming, with a growth rate of about nine percent in In order to export oil, South Sudan relies on a pipeline to Port Sudan on Sudan's Red Sea coast, as South Sudan is a landlocked country , as well as the oil refining facilities in Sudan.

While historically agriculture remains the main source of income and employment hiring of over 80 percent of Sudanese, and makes up a third of the economic sector, oil production drove most of Sudan's post growth. Currently, the International Monetary Fund IMF is working hand in hand with Khartoum government to implement sound macroeconomic policies. This follows a turbulent period in the s when debt-ridden Sudan's relations with the IMF and World Bank soured, culminating in its eventual suspension from the IMF.