Country Information

The population of Sudan is approximately 38.6 million (est. 2007). There are 19 ethnic groups in Sudan which are divided into 597 subgroups. Black Africans make up 52% of the population, Arabs 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, and the numerous ethnic subgroups 1%. Sudan is a predominately Muslim country. Sunni Muslims, who live primarily in the north, constitute 70% of the population, indigenous believers account for 25%, and the remaining 5% are Christians mostly situated in the south and in the capital Khartoum. The official languages of Sudan are Arabic and English. However, there are 134 languages spoken in Sudan, with over 400 dialects.

Political and Economic Environment
Sudan gained independence from Egypt and the United Kingdom in 1956 after an Anglo-Egyptian Agreement and has been ruled by military dictatorships throughout its history. As a result of an Islamic dominated government and marginalization of black Christians and animists, Sudan has been ravaged by decades of civil war. Since 1983, war and famine have caused over 2 million deaths and over 4 million Sudanese have been uprooted from their homes. The Sudan’s People Liberation Movement (SPLM) led by John Garang, fought against the Muslim North government, which was led by Omar al-Bashir. In 1989 al-Bashir seized power in a military coup.

Eventually al-Bashir’s government would reach an agreement with the Southern rebels in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), after 21 years of conflict, with the help of the US and the international community. The parties at the peace talks agreed on the fate of the two contested regions, the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountain provinces in January 2004. Part of the Naivasha peace treaty also gave the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) autonomy of six years, which will be followed by a referendum for independence. In the new power-sharing government, John Garang became the Vice-President of Sudan, however he died in a helicopter crash not too long after and was succeeded by Salva Kiir.

A separate conflict abruptly broke out in 2003 in Darfur between rebel forces and armed militia known as the Janjaweed which are backed by the government. This conflict, which some observers have called “the first genocide of the 21st century”, has claimed more than 200,000 lives and caused the displacement of nearly two million people. The government has been pressured by the international community to negotiate with the different rebel factions and cease its support of the Janjaweed. In May 2006, a Darfur Peace Agreement was reached with one of the rebel groups, yet fighting has continued.

Although marred by civil war and chronic instability, Sudan has made some progress on the economic front. The Sudanese economy has been propelled by the private sector, mainly in the area of agriculture, which employs 80 percent of the work force. Throughout the 1990s, the economy was characterized by slow growth as the IMF suspended lending, and threatened to expel Sudan from the organization for non-cooperation. Sudan began implementing IMF macroeconomic changes in 1997, which have been successful in reducing inflation. Increased oil production, light industry, and export processing zones have contributed to Sudan’s GDP growth of 8% in 2005.

Humanitarian Situation
Even after the largest rebel group in Darfur signed the CPA, the fighting in Darfur has not only resumed, it has intensified. Janjaweed militias continue to attack civilians with impunity; women have been constantly attacked and raped in Darfur. The rape victims do not have adequate access to reproductive health, psychosocial or mental health services. According to the UN, more than 220,000 Sudanese are living in refugee camps in Chad, 85 percent of them children and women. In addition, conditions for humanitarian workers are dangerous; there have been several killings and numerous attacks. Both the government and rebel forces continue to target and exploit civilian population. As the war continues unabated, relief workers are acknowledging difficulties in carrying out humanitarian aid programs as the Sudanese government derails and blocked humanitarian relief deliveries in many locations. The combination of famine, violence, and aid blockage by the government continues to cause death and displacement which could further destabilize the region.

In November of 2006, Khartoum agreed in principle to a “hybrid” force of UN and African Union troops. The agreement was endorsed by the Security Council formally approved by the Sudanese government the following month. UNAMID looks to deploy over 19,555 personnel. This force combines with the AU forces currently in Sudan. To date, 9,080 personnel have been deployed and are currently prone to continued rebel attacks.

Updated April 2008