Sudan: Difference between revisions
imported>Howard C. Berkowitz (Effect of Power-Sharing Agreement) |
imported>Howard C. Berkowitz No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{subpages}} | {{subpages}} | ||
{{TOC-right}} | |||
[[Image:Sudan and Khartoum.png|right|thumb|350px|{{#ifexist:Template:Sudan and Khartoum.png/credit|{{Sudan and Khartoum.png/credit}}<br/>|}} Sudan and its capital Khartoum.]] | [[Image:Sudan and Khartoum.png|right|thumb|350px|{{#ifexist:Template:Sudan and Khartoum.png/credit|{{Sudan and Khartoum.png/credit}}<br/>|}} Sudan and its capital Khartoum.]] | ||
'''Sudan''' is a nation in [[East Africa]], which has the largest land area of any country in Africa. It gained independence from the [[United Kingdom]], and has had near-continuous [[Insurgency#civil war|civil war]]s and local conflicts since then. The [[Second Sudanese Civil War]], which first established, with the [[Machakos Protocol]] of 2002, a frame work for agreement, and then, with the [[Naivasha Comprehensive Peace Agreement]](CPA) in 2005, signed a treaty. The treaty included provisions for a referendum, in 2011, in which South Sudan will have the option of whether or not to become an independent nation; the South now issues its own currency and conducts its own foreign policy. There is also an active struggle in the [[Darfur]] region in the west of the country, with the most important border being with [[Chad]]; elements of one of the rebel groups in Darfur attacked [[Omdurman]], the sister city/suburb of the national capital, [[Khartoum]], in May 2008. | '''Sudan''' is a nation in [[East Africa]], which has the largest land area of any country in Africa. It gained independence from the [[United Kingdom]], and has had near-continuous [[Insurgency#civil war|civil war]]s and local conflicts since then. The [[Second Sudanese Civil War]], which first established, with the [[Machakos Protocol]] of 2002, a frame work for agreement, and then, with the [[Naivasha Comprehensive Peace Agreement]](CPA) in 2005, signed a treaty. The treaty included provisions for a referendum, in 2011, in which South Sudan will have the option of whether or not to become an independent nation; the South now issues its own currency and conducts its own foreign policy. There is also an active struggle in the [[Darfur]] region in the west of the country, with the most important border being with [[Chad]]; elements of one of the rebel groups in Darfur attacked [[Omdurman]], the sister city/suburb of the national capital, [[Khartoum]], in May 2008. | ||
Both the Darfur Conflict and the Civil Wars are complex, | Both the Darfur Conflict and the Civil Wars are complex, mixtures of power, ethnic and sometimes religious struggles. North Sudan, which has historically held the most power, predominantly is Arab and Muslim. South Sudan is much more mixed, with Nilotic and other subsaharan ethnicities, and a mixture of Christian, indigenous animist, and Muslim religions. As in the [[The Troubles]], at least for the North-South struggle, religion is a surrogate for political and economic power. There is no accident that the peace treaty is called the [[Power-Sharing Agreement]] | ||
Darfur is populated by several groups, led by the Fur people (Darfur means "land of the Fur"), who are Muslim of subsaharan ancestry, tracing their ancestry to a people in the current area of [[Nigeria]].<ref name=SL-Fur>{{citation | Darfur is populated by several groups, led by the Fur people (Darfur means "land of the Fur"), who are Muslim of subsaharan ancestry, tracing their ancestry to a people in the current area of [[Nigeria]].<ref name=SL-Fur>{{citation | ||
| Line 32: | Line 33: | ||
| date = 2007 | | date = 2007 | ||
| author = StrategyWatch}}</ref> | | author = StrategyWatch}}</ref> | ||
==Government== | |||
Effectively, Sudan is a federation under a coalition government. North Sudan is headed by the prior national president, [[Hassan al-Nimeri]], while South Sudan has a relatively autonomous government (e.g., with its own currency and foreign policy) headed by [[Salva Kiir]]. Nimeri is national president while Kiir is first vice-president; [[Ali Osman Taha]], the former national vice-president in the northern-dominated government, is now second vice-president. | |||
In March 2009, the [[International Criminal Court]] issued a war crimes indictment against Nimeri; a number of other officials previously had been indicted for crimes against humanity, primarily in the Darfur region. <ref name=ICC>{{citation | |||
| | | date = March 4, 2009 | ||
| | | title = ICC issues a warrant of arrest for Omar Al Bashir, President of Sudan | ||
| | | author = International Criminal Court | ||
| | | url = http://www.icc-cpi.int/NR/exeres/0EF62173-05ED-403A-80C8-F15EE1D25BB3.htm}}</ref> This is the first warrant ever issued against a sitting head of state and the entire matter is evolving. | ||
}}</ref> | |||
==Geography== | ==Geography== | ||
| Line 59: | Line 60: | ||
The Blue and White Nile rivers join to form the Nile at the Khartoum-Omdurman area. Sudan has significant internal river transport, and Port Sudan is on the Red Sea. | The Blue and White Nile rivers join to form the Nile at the Khartoum-Omdurman area. Sudan has significant internal river transport, and Port Sudan is on the Red Sea. | ||
==Economy== | ==Economy== | ||
One of the factors in the conflict is the increasing significance of oil; Sudan is self-sufficient and beginning to export. Economically viable oilfields were discovered in 1974 by Chevron Oil, who did not pursue their concession due to security concerns.<ref name=HRW-Chevron>{{citation | |||
| url = http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/sudan1103/10.htm | |||
| author = Human Rights Watch | |||
| date = November 2003 | |||
| contribution = The Chevron Period: 1974-92 | |||
| title = Sudan, Oil, and Human Rights, HRW Report | |||
}}</ref> Later, Western firms such as Talisman of Canada, established working fields in the South, centered around Bentiu, but eventually withdrew over shareholder human rights protest. The main oil consortium is the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC), with ownership split among the People's Republic of China, India, and Malaysia; Sudan has a minor share. | |||
==Foreign relations== | ==Foreign relations== | ||
Sudan is a member of the [[Arab League]]. Before the Power-Sharing Agreement, Sudan's foreign policy was oriented toward Arab cooperation. | Sudan is a member of the [[Arab League]]. Before the Power-Sharing Agreement, Sudan's foreign policy was oriented toward Arab cooperation. | ||
International economic policy, however, very much related to the participants in the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company, currently [[China]], [[India]], and [[Malaysia]]. Relations with [[France]] were complex, given both French oil concessions in Sudan, and that [[Chad]] is a French client. Since the oilfields are in the south, the northern interests might be quite different if the south dealt with the oil operators. | |||
Since the Agreement, however, and South Sudan's separate conduct of foreign policy, the Southern interactions emphasize [[Uganda]] and [[Kenya]], and has a good deal of interaction with the West as well as China and India. External Christian groups, at a final conference in Washington, D.C. helped resolve the internal conflict between Dinka and Nuer. There are mutual interests with [[Ethiopia]]. | Since the Agreement, however, and South Sudan's separate conduct of foreign policy, the Southern interactions emphasize [[Uganda]] and [[Kenya]], and has a good deal of interaction with the West as well as China and India. External Christian groups, at a final conference in Washington, D.C. helped resolve the internal conflict between Dinka and Nuer. There are mutual interests with [[Ethiopia]]. | ||
| Line 72: | Line 81: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist|2}} | ||
Revision as of 15:10, 8 March 2009
Sudan is a nation in East Africa, which has the largest land area of any country in Africa. It gained independence from the United Kingdom, and has had near-continuous civil wars and local conflicts since then. The Second Sudanese Civil War, which first established, with the Machakos Protocol of 2002, a frame work for agreement, and then, with the Naivasha Comprehensive Peace Agreement(CPA) in 2005, signed a treaty. The treaty included provisions for a referendum, in 2011, in which South Sudan will have the option of whether or not to become an independent nation; the South now issues its own currency and conducts its own foreign policy. There is also an active struggle in the Darfur region in the west of the country, with the most important border being with Chad; elements of one of the rebel groups in Darfur attacked Omdurman, the sister city/suburb of the national capital, Khartoum, in May 2008.
Both the Darfur Conflict and the Civil Wars are complex, mixtures of power, ethnic and sometimes religious struggles. North Sudan, which has historically held the most power, predominantly is Arab and Muslim. South Sudan is much more mixed, with Nilotic and other subsaharan ethnicities, and a mixture of Christian, indigenous animist, and Muslim religions. As in the The Troubles, at least for the North-South struggle, religion is a surrogate for political and economic power. There is no accident that the peace treaty is called the Power-Sharing Agreement
Darfur is populated by several groups, led by the Fur people (Darfur means "land of the Fur"), who are Muslim of subsaharan ancestry, tracing their ancestry to a people in the current area of Nigeria.[1] Before the struggle fragmented into several groups, the conflict was between Baggara Arabs,[2] who are a nomadic people, and farming groups such as the Fur[1], Daju[3] and Masalit.[4]
Government
Effectively, Sudan is a federation under a coalition government. North Sudan is headed by the prior national president, Hassan al-Nimeri, while South Sudan has a relatively autonomous government (e.g., with its own currency and foreign policy) headed by Salva Kiir. Nimeri is national president while Kiir is first vice-president; Ali Osman Taha, the former national vice-president in the northern-dominated government, is now second vice-president.
In March 2009, the International Criminal Court issued a war crimes indictment against Nimeri; a number of other officials previously had been indicted for crimes against humanity, primarily in the Darfur region. [5] This is the first warrant ever issued against a sitting head of state and the entire matter is evolving.
Geography
Sudan shares boundaries with:[6]
- Central African Republic 1,165 km
- Chad 1,360 km
- Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km
- Egypt 1,273 km
- Eritrea 605 km
- Ethiopia 1,606 km
- Kenya 232 km
- Libya 383 km
- Uganda 435 km
The Blue and White Nile rivers join to form the Nile at the Khartoum-Omdurman area. Sudan has significant internal river transport, and Port Sudan is on the Red Sea.
Economy
One of the factors in the conflict is the increasing significance of oil; Sudan is self-sufficient and beginning to export. Economically viable oilfields were discovered in 1974 by Chevron Oil, who did not pursue their concession due to security concerns.[7] Later, Western firms such as Talisman of Canada, established working fields in the South, centered around Bentiu, but eventually withdrew over shareholder human rights protest. The main oil consortium is the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC), with ownership split among the People's Republic of China, India, and Malaysia; Sudan has a minor share.
Foreign relations
Sudan is a member of the Arab League. Before the Power-Sharing Agreement, Sudan's foreign policy was oriented toward Arab cooperation.
International economic policy, however, very much related to the participants in the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company, currently China, India, and Malaysia. Relations with France were complex, given both French oil concessions in Sudan, and that Chad is a French client. Since the oilfields are in the south, the northern interests might be quite different if the south dealt with the oil operators.
Since the Agreement, however, and South Sudan's separate conduct of foreign policy, the Southern interactions emphasize Uganda and Kenya, and has a good deal of interaction with the West as well as China and India. External Christian groups, at a final conference in Washington, D.C. helped resolve the internal conflict between Dinka and Nuer. There are mutual interests with Ethiopia.
Internal conflicts
North-South
Dinka-Nuer
Darfur
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 StrategyWatch (2007), People Profile: The Fur of Sudan and Chad, Profiles of Some Peoples of Africa Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "SL-Fur" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ StrategyWatch (2007), People Profile: The Baggara of Sudan and Chad, Profiles of Some Peoples of Africa
- ↑ StrategyWatch (2007), People Profile: The Daju of Sudan and Chad, Profiles of Some Peoples of Africa
- ↑ StrategyWatch (2007), People Profile: The Masalit of Sudan and Chad, Profiles of Some Peoples of Africa
- ↑ International Criminal Court (March 4, 2009), ICC issues a warrant of arrest for Omar Al Bashir, President of Sudan
- ↑ , Sudan, World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency
- ↑ Human Rights Watch (November 2003), The Chevron Period: 1974-92, Sudan, Oil, and Human Rights, HRW Report