Peace is ushering in a time of greater wealth and prosperity for the Sudanese people

udan’s name comes from the old Arabic term bilad al-sudan, meaning ‘Land of the Blacks’.

Africa’s largest nation, slightly more than one quarter the size of the U.S., has a population of 38 million, and is a land blessed with large quantities of water, vast tracts of arable land, and an abundance of mineral wealth. In the last 50 years Sudan has also been a land cursed by politics, ravaged by longstanding civil war, and unable to fully capitalize on its natural gifts. A victim of the international media, ongoing tribal and religious strife, regional wealth disparity, and more recently, a struggle to curb the more radical elements of Islamic fundamentalism, Sudan has suffered the role of pariah in both the international arena and within its regional relations in Africa.

Today Sudan is emerging from these struggles victorious, although not unscarred, and has declared that war is not a legitimate political weapon. Paradoxically, the country has seemed to realize that what has been at the roots of much of its conflict is, in reality, its strength – Sudan’s incredible diversity. In the midst of all this, as though fortune decided to smile upon the country and reward its efforts, oil wealth has arrived, just in time to coincide with the ushering in of a new era of peace for the Sudanese people.

The U.S. has played a critical role in encouraging the peace process in Sudan through the imposition of sanctions, participation in peace talks, and ongoing pressure on Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed el-Bashir to end the civil war.

ALI OSMAN MOHAMED TAHA Vice President of the Republic of Sudan

The last leg of this has been raging since 1983 between the Islamic government in the north and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), led by Mr. John Garang, in the south. President Bush has said that all sanctions against the country will be lifted once the final peace agreement is signed. Vice President of Sudan Ali Osman Mohamed Taha has been a key figure in the country’s peace process, now in its final stages. He comments, “In my judgment, the remaining issues in the peace agreement should not pose insurmountable obstacles. What we have witnessed from the other side has been quite positive and encouraging and Mr. Garang has been forthcoming with positive engagement to reach a conclusion. I would also like to praise the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development Partners who have relentlessly encouraged both sides, closely followed the negotiations, and vigorously tried to mend whatever differences have arisen during the negotiations.”

As testimony to the change in Khartoum, the Machakos protocol was signed with the SPLA in 2002, which called for a ceasefire and outlined the future peace agreement. The protocol offers the south an unparalleled degree of autonomy, freedom from the imposition of Islamic law (which the country adopted in 1983), and an internationally supervised referendum on secession after a six-year interim period. Subsequent agreements have been reached on security arrangements and the sharing of the country’s newfound oil wealth. Around the same time as the signing of the Machakos protocol, a further split between President el-Bashir and long-time political ally Mr. Hassan Turabi, who in the past has espoused a more radical Islamic stance in the government, highlighted the country’s move towards moderation and tolerance. Simultaneously, renewed relations with the International Monetary Fund and a resumption in loan payments set the country’s economy on the same course – an opening up to the international community and an end to isolationism.

The signing of the peace agreement will allow Sudan to fully develop the natural wealth at its disposal and better enjoy the benefits that its growing economy can provide. Vice President Taha states, “Sudan has great economic potential, as well as a strategic geographical position and huge human resources. It could be one of the vehicles for growth in the African region. The peace agreement will reverse the negative impact of the war and will provide opportunities for Sudan and its people. Its resources can finally be used to contribute to the prosperity and stability of its people, and the region at large.”

Sudan has already undergone a remarkable economic transformation since 2000. The government’s policy of liberalization and free market reform has strengthened the private sector, freed imports and exports and internal trade control, and opened the economy. Rampant inflation has been reduced to single digits and the currency is enjoying unprecedented stability. Furthermore, GDP growth has averaged between 5% and 7% over the last few years and revenues from oil exports, which came on line in 1999 and totaled $542 million by 2000, are significantly boosting Sudan’s ability to repay external debt and invest in infrastructure – a crucial component in the country’s full economic recovery.