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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Sudan
Index
Tomb of the Mahdi in Omdurman
THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY SUDAN has been divided between its Arab
heritage, identified with northern Sudan, and its African
heritages to the south. The two groups are divided along
linguistic, religious, racial, and economic lines, and the
cleavage has generated ethnic tensions and clashes. Moreover, the
geographical isolation of Sudan's southern African peoples has
prevented them from participating fully in the country's
political, economic, and social life. Imperial Britain
acknowledged the north-south division by establishing separate
administrations for the two regions. Independent Sudan further
reinforced this cleavage by treating African southerners as a
minority group.
Another major factor that has affected Sudan's evolution is
the country's relationship with Egypt. As early as the eighth
millennium B.C., there was contact between Sudan and Egypt.
Modern relations between the two countries began in 1820, when an
Egyptian army under Ottoman command invaded Sudan. In the years
following this invasion, Egypt expanded its area of control in
Sudan down the Red Sea coast and toward East Africa's Great Lakes
region. The sixty-four-year period of Egyptian rule, which ended
in 1885, left a deep mark on Sudan's political and economic
systems. The emergence of the Anglo-Egyptian condominium in 1899
reinforced the links between Cairo and Khartoum. After Sudan
gained independence in 1956, Egypt continued to exert influence
over developments in Sudan.
Similarly, the period of British control (1899-1955) has had
a lasting impact on Sudan. In addition to pacifying and uniting
the country, Britain sought to modernize Sudan by using
technology to facilitate economic development and by establishing
democratic institutions to end authoritarian rule. Even in 1991,
many of Sudan's political and economic institutions owed their
existence to the British.
Lastly, Sudan's postindependence history has been shaped
largely by the southern civil war. This conflict has retarded the
country's social and economic development, encouraged political
instability, and led to an endless cycle of weak and ineffective
military and civilian governments. The conflict appeared likely
to continue to affect Sudan's people and institutions for the
rest of the twentieth century.
Data as of June 1991
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