The Sudan civil war: political conflict and religious division

Man has lived in the Sudan for at least nine million years and the valley of the Nile that wanders more than 4,000 miles from the lakes of Central Africa to the Mediterranean may be the cradle of civilization rather than the Euphrates. Almost four centuries before Christ the Ox-driven water wheel which still plays a vital role in the country's economy, was introduced to the Sudan. At the same time came camels, brought with them by the Persians when Cambyses invaded Egypt in 525 BC. It is Africa's largest country with a wide diversity of ethnic and religious groups. Originally populated by peoples of African origin, it was gradually taken over by Arab traders from Egypt. They gave the country its name, Sudan, and brought in the - today - dominant religion, Islam. Later Sudan was part of the British Empire, administered by Egypt under the "Condominium" agreement until 1955.

Originally the British planned was to make Southern Sudan part of their East African colonies but they ended up supporting the Islamic Umma Party in their demand for a united Sudan despite the southern leaders' demand for secession or a federal status for Southern Sudan.

When this demand was redundant, army units in the south raised a rebellion in 1955 and they quickly spread and turned into a full-fledged civil war between the northern and southern parts of the country.

Since Sudan's independence in January 1956, the country has been blemished by internal conflicts and civil wars - not only the southern part but also other parts have been fighting for greater autonomy - reflecting the diversity of religions, cultures and economic/social interests existing in the country.

Political Conditions

The NIF regime has staged three so-called elections since they took power. On all three occasions, the antagonism has dismissed the elections as a shambles seeing them as nominations by the regime.

Political parties are in practice banned regardless of some openings in the new constitution and nearly all opposition leaders are in exile, where they (incl. SPLM) have formed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Those remaining within Sudan are regularly persecuted and detained. In the South, SPLM is by far the major opposition group and its armed wing controls the main part of the area.

The regime, which pursues a policy of forced islamization of the country, has strengthened the Islamic laws (sharia), and has declared the war in the South as a holy war (jihad). A very taut security system ensures that all internal opposition is concealed and ethnic and religious minorities are persecuted.

The administration has not at any point shown serious interest in a negotiated solution to the civil war. They are apparently not willing to give in on their demand that Islam should be the religion governing the whole country.

The opposition, on the other hand, demands the establishment of a pluralistic, secular with equal civil liberties for all citizens based on a referendum determining whether the marginalized groups want secession or a united Sudan with a federal arrangement.

The government is still in control of a few towns in the south including the capital Juba that is surrounded and cut off by SPLM. The major opposition drive during the past year has been in the Eastern part of the country where a number of garrisons have been captured by joint NDA forces bringing the war to the North and threatening the major roads between Port Sudan and Khartoum, the new oil pipeline and the hydro power station at Roseires.

Economic Situation

The Sudanese economy is based on agriculture and trade, with very diminutive industrialization. Sudan was once seen as the "breadbasket" of the Middle East and Africa but has over the past years not even been able to meet its own needs.

The GDP per capita is comparatively high but the distribution is very uneven and the war consumes a large part of the economic resources.

In the late 1970's, large deposits of oil were discovered in the border area between the northern and southern parts of the country. In alliance with Canadian, Chinese, and Malaysian investors, the government has been able to start production in July 1999 and plans to send the oil to a new refinery in Khartoum. SPLM opposes this, claiming that the proceeds will be used to finance an intensification of the war. The movement has declared the oil installations a military target and several recent operations have been aimed at hindering the production to divest the government of the potential income from this source.

The war has led to poor utilization of the resources as well as to large expenditure (estimated at U.S.$1-2 millions per day) resulting in persistent deficits in Sudan's balance of payments. Deficits have been covered by loans and a debt of U.S.$20 billion has been accumulated, making Sudan one of the most indebted countries in the world. Failure to meet the debt service obligations has brought Sudan very close to being suspended from IMF.

The Human Rights Situation

Many reports from international human rights groups as well as from the Special Reporter appointed by United Nations demonstrate that Sudan has one of the worst human rights records in the world. Detentions, persecution and other restrictions on political, ethnic and religious minorities are the order of the day.

Several reports have recognized slavery and slave trade. Children are forced into Koran schools and other islamization programs. Reports from the Nuba Mountains in the southern part of the northern region document ethnic cleansing programs by the government army in revenge for the local people's support to SPLA/M, and similar carnage are reported from the western region of Darfur.

The UN Special Reporter on Human Rights in Sudan has been deprived of access to certain areas and the regime has delivered unreliable information and withheld information at their own judgment.

Human Rights organizations have faced similar complexity but have, nevertheless, managed to compile damaging evidence of the regime's insolence of all internationally accepted human rights.

Despite this, Sudan managed to secure that a UN resolution against its demeanor in the Human Rights Commission in April 1999 was less reproachful than has been the case before.