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SUDAN
ECONOMIC POTENTIAL & DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS
Sudan is an Afro-Arab country of multi-ethnic, multi-cultural
and multi-lingual society. It enjoys a remarkable strategic location
in the center of the African continent that marks a melding point
between Arabs and sub-Saharan peoples. The country shares extensive
boarders with nine countries of Northern, Central, Eastern and Western
Africa. Such juxtaposition engenders a mix of trade, culture, social,
ethnic and other human ties built through history.
The country enjoys a total area of 2.5 million km2,
the largest in Africa. It extends from the hot arid North to West
tropics in the South with diversified ecosystems that provide immense
fertile land of about 80 million hectares (about 20% of this land
space is cultivated), natural pastures of about 24 million hectares,
forest area of about 64 million hectares and the remaining land is
desert or semi-desert. Considerable water resources is available from
the River Nile and its tributaries, seasonal streams and rains with
annual amount of 109 billion m3 of water in addition to the
underground water underlay the Nubian Sand-Stone Aquifer which is one
of the the largest water reservoirs in the world of estimated
potential rechargeable 29 billion m3 of water. Sudan also
enjoys a long coastal line at the Red Sea.
Current estimates put the population in excess of 30 million
with estimated annual growth rate of 2.6% and a population density of
10.2 per km2, though this figure masks wide variation with
respect to effective population density on arable land which exceeds
50 persons per km2. About 67% of the population live in
rural areas while 33% live in urban areas. The demographic
characteristics of the country indicate a young population structure
with the number of population under 15 years accounts for about 45% of
total population, according to the last Census of 1993. Total
estimated labor force accounts for 9 million with increasing female
participation in economic activities. Unemployed people represent
about 15% of the total labor force. Employment structure since 1996 is
dominated by agriculture followed by services, industry, transport and
construction with 55%, 10%, 5%,6% and 3% respectively. Broad
agriculture and rural sector espouse about 77% of the labor force.
Agriculture remains the leading sector in the economy with an
estimated contribution of 45% of GDP, and 85% of export earnings
before the year 2000. The main export commodites are livestock (having
potential animal wealth of about 128 million heads of sheep, goats, cattle
and camels), sesame, groundnuts, cotton, vegetables, fruits, sugar and
gum Arabic. Oil exports started in August and refined oil products and
natural gas in July 2000.
In addition to its natural, agricultural and animal resources,
Sudan abounds with potential mineral wealth of which petroleum, now
exploited, is the most important with commercially proven and
prospects for additional reserves. Gold mining and exports are on a
rising trend while numerous minerals such as iron ore, copper, mica,
zinc, chromate and manganese together with non-ferrous resources such
as plaster, lime and black sand are also available in appreciable
quantities and potentially tradable. This could pose a real base for industrial
development.
The industrial sector still depends on agricultural raw
materials inputs such as vegetable oil, sugar cane, cotton, hides,
skins etc.. With more development of these natural resources
agro-industrial potential investment opportunities will thrive and
encourage manufacturing of agricultural-related means of production
required for improving productivities of both plant and animal
sectors.
PEACE AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC STABILITY:
The daunting civil strife inflicting the South continues to impend
national security and the very texture of the society in its various
political, economic and social fabrics. The ramification of this
war, flaring over since 1950s, has a devastating impingement not
only at the war fields but on other areas in the form of influx of
displaced people with the consequences of wide spread of poverty and
pauperism. However, the quest for peace continues to be the main
concern of the Government with commitment to building confidence
through devolution of power and wealth sharing among all the States
particularly the Southern States. The Government has assiduously
engaged in efforts to end the war. It believes that stopping the war
is a moral obligation to unravel the human tragedy of the people of
the South and restore economic, social and security situations. The
Government has announced its readiness to make peace through
preparing the climate for talks, announcing repeatedly a ceace-fire
from one side, granting general amnesty for all those who carried
arms against the Government and agreeing on Operation Life-line to
safe the citizens exposed to hunger and diseases. Since 1989, the
Government and the rebels have entered into more than twelve rounds
of talks outside the framework of IGAD Initiative. In a parallel
line to the external mediation, the Government has doubled its
efforts to achieve peace from-within. In April 1997 the Khartoum
Peace Agreement was signed between the Government and a number of
Southern rebel factions. This agreement recognizes for the first
time in contemporary Sudan the right of self-determination for the
South. It was followed by Fashoda and the Nuba Mountains Agreements.
These agreements feature in the Permanent Constitution. A recent
development was the signing of the new Nuba Mountains Agreement with
the main rebel stream following the United States special envoy
initiative. It is expected that with the successful implementation
of this agreement the peace process will continue to cover the
South.
ISSUES OF GOVERNANCE:
The
Sudan Government is committed to adhere to the basic human rights
enshrined in the divine laws and international covenants, ensuring
the supremacy of society and its legitimate right to developing own
indigenous democracy and peaceful exchange of power among the
various partisan movement within the Federal System and united
Sudan. Enforcing peace, restoring security and the rule of law,
building confidence among all people and ensuring fair distribution
of wealth and power are the main policy agenda of the Government.
However, the rehabilitation of society’s political, social and
economic infrastructure are basic issues necessary to achieve peace,
decent livelihood, fairness and justice together with fostering
democracy among all citizens having different social, ethnic,
religious and cultural background without discrimination.
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