DATE=9/3/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41300
TITLE=TROUBLED SUDAN
BYLINE= ED WARNER
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRODUCTION: THE UNITED STATES HAS DECLARED SUDAN A TERRORIST
STATE AND RECENTLY BOMBED A CHEMICAL PLANT IN THE CAPITAL
KHARTOUM ON THE GROUNDS IT WAS MANUFACTURING AN INGREDIENT FOR
POISON GAS, AN ACTION THAT IS STILL INVOLVED IN CONTROVERSY. WHAT
IS THE NATURE OF THIS MUCH CONDEMNED BUT LITTLE UNDERSTOOD NORTH
AFRICAN NATION AND ITS ENIGMATIC SPIRITUAL LEADER HASAN
AL-TURABI? VOA'S ED WARNER ASKED TWO AMERICANS WITH WIDE
EXPERIENCE IN SUDAN.
TEXT: JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE GOING WRONG IN SUDAN.
SOME OF ITS NEIGHBORS, ALONG WITH THE UNITED STATES, ACCCUSE IT
OF HARBORING TERRORISTS AND EXPORTING AN EXTREME, SOMETIMES
DEADLY FORM OF ISLAM. A RECENT U-S STRIKE DESTROYED A MAJOR
CHEMICAL PLANT IN KHARTOUM. AND A CIVIL WAR DRAGS ON, TAKING
UNTOLD LIVES AND CRIPPLING THE ECONOMY.
TALKS BETWEEN THE RIGIDLY ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT IN THE NORTH AND THE
REBELS IN THE SOUTH ARE UNDER WAY, BUT DAVID LITTLE, A SENIOR
SCHOLAR AT THE U-S INSTITUTE OF PEACE IN WASHINGTON, IS NOT
OPTIMISTIC:
// LITTLE ACT //
MY INFORMATION IS THAT THOSE TALKS ARE NOT ACTUALLY
ADVANCING VERY PROMISINGLY AT PRESENT, AND THE BASIC
PROBLEMS BETWEEN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH ARE NOT GETTING
RESOLVED. TOGETHER WITH THAT, YOU HAVE GOT THE FAMINE IN
THE SOUTH, WHICH IS HAVING VERY, VERY SEVERE EFFECTS
UPON THE POPULATION BOTH THERE AND THROUGHOUT SUDAN.
// END ACT //
ALSO, SUDAN IS UNLIKE OTHER NATIONS ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT,
SAYS PETER BECHTOLD, DIRECTOR OF NEAR EASTERN AND NORTH AFRICAN
STUDIES AT THE FOREIGN SERVICE INSTITUTE, WHICH PROVIDES
DIPLOMATIC TRAINING FOR MEMBERS OF THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT:
// BECHTOLD ACT //
SUDAN IS A VERY COMPLEX COUNTRY. IT DOES NOT EASILY FIT
INTO THE CATEGORIES OF EITHER THE ARAB WORLD OR AFRICA.
IT IS REALLY A MIXTURE AS WELL AS A BRIDGE. THE REASON
WHY ALL GOVERNMENTS IN THE SUDAN HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY
RULING EFFECTIVELY IS THAT THERE ARE 597 DIFFERENT
TRIBES, ACCORDING TO ANTHROPOLOGISTS, AND THEY SPEAK
MORE THAN 400 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS. THE
NORTHERN PART OF THE SUDAN IS EXTREMELY DIVERSE, AND THE
SOUTHERN PART IS EXTREMELY DIVERSE.
// END ACT //
MR. BECHTOLD SAYS THE SOUTHERNERS ARE DIVIDED AMONG TRIBES AND
RELIGIONS - ANIMISTS, CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS. ALL HAVE DIFFERENT
IDEAS ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT FROM THE NORTH, WHICH ADDS TO THE
CONFUSION OF WARFARE.
MR. BECHTOLD SAYS THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SITUATION DESERVES A
NUANCED U-S POLICY, BUT OTHERS THINK THE ISSUES ARE CLEAR ENOUGH.
THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ATTITUDE OF THE UNITED STATES, SAYS DAVID
LITTLE:
// LITTLE ACT //
THE CLAIM IS THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES ARE VERY
EXTENSIVE AND CONTINUE, AND UNTIL THERE IS SOME
RECTIFICATION OF THAT SITUATION, WE WOULD NOT WANT TO
RELIEVE OUR PRESSURE. AS FAR AS THE UNITED STATES IS
CONCERNED, SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM CONTINUES. IT IS TRUE
BIN LADEN WAS SENT OUT, BUT THAT DOES NOT ELIMINATE
ALTOGETHER THE APPARENT SUPPORT FOR OTHER TERRORIST
ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES.
// END ACT //
THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT ASKS WHY THERE WAS NO U-S RESPONSE TO ITS
EXPULSION OF BIN LADEN. IT PROFESSES IT WANTS TO TALK TO THE
UNITED STATES BUT IS MET WITH SILENCE. THERE IS NO U-S EMBASSY IN
KHARTOUM, AND U-S MILTARY AID HAS BEEN SENT TO AFRICAN COUNTRIES
SUPPORTING THE SOUTHERN REBELS.
SUDAN'S GUIDING SPIRIT IS SAID TO BE HASAN AL-TURABI, WHOM MANY
CONSIDER THE EVIL GENIUS OF A MILITANT ISLAM. BUT WHILE HE HAS A
POWERFUL INTELLECT, SAYS MR. BECHTOLD, HIS POLITICAL POWER IS
EXAGGERATED. IF ANYTHING, HE HAS ACTED AS A MODERNIZER OF ISLAM,
TRYING TO REMOVE INFLUENCES FROM THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD. IT IS EASY
TO DEMONIZE SOMEONE LIKE AL-TURABI, SAYS MR. BECHTOLD, BUT IT IS
NOT VERY ANALYTICAL
IN HIS OPINION, REAL POWER RESTS WITH THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT, AS
IT HAS IN THE PAST. IN THIS, THERE IS GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS:
// BECHTOLD ACT //
THE GOOD NEWS IN A WAY IS THAT ALL GOVERNMENTS,
INCLUDING THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT, RECOGNIZED THAT THE
COUNTRY CAN ONLY BE GOVERNED BY A MULTI-CULTURAL,
MULTI-ETHNIC, MULTI-RELIGIOUS, MULTI-LINGUAL ENTITY.
THEY HAVE TALKED ABOUT FEDERALISM, AND THEY HAVE EVEN
LOOKED AT THE AMERICAN MODEL. THE BAD NEWS IS THAT NONE
OF THEM HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PULL IT OFF.
// END ACT //
SUDAN LACKS ANY KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE, SAYS MR. BECHTOLD, AND
TRANSPORTATION IS A NIGHTMARE. THERE ARE FEW PAVED ROADS. RIVERS
ARE NOT NAVIGABLE. SINCE THE TRIBES CANNOT BE REACHED, TAXES
CANNOT BE COLLECTED TO START BUILDING THE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE
NEEDED.
MR. BECHTOLD SAYS SUDAN SHOULD BE TREATED AS A NATION IN ALL ITS
TROUBLED COMPLEXITY, BUT HE FEARS THERE IS A TENDENCY TO REGARD
IT ONLY AS A PIECE OF A LARGER PUZZLE INVOLVING THE MIDDLE EAST
PEACE PROCESS AND THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM. (SIGNED)
NEB/EW/WFR
03-Sep-98 7:23 PM EDT (2323 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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