Routledge Library Editions: Sudan
Volume 4
The Sudan
First published in 1985 in the United States of America by Westview Press, Inc.
First published in Great Britain in 1985 by Croom Helm Ltd.
This edition first published in 2017
by Routledge
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1985 John Obert Voll and Sarah Potts Voll
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-138-20168-2 (Set)
ISBN: 978-1-315-43940-2 (Set) (ebk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-21198-8 (Volume 4) (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-21208-4 (Volume 4) (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-45137-4 (Volume 4) (ebk)
Publishers Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent.
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The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and would welcome correspondence from those they have been unable to trace.
The Sudan
Unity and Diversity in a Multicultural State
John Obert Voll
and
Sarah Potts Voll
Profiles/Nations of the Contemporary Middle East
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Copyright 1985 by Westview Press, Inc.
Published in 1985 in the United States of America by Westview Press, Inc., 5500 Central Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80301; Frederick A. Praeger, Publisher
Published in 1985 in Great Britain by Croom Helm Ltd., Provident House, Burrell Row, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1AT
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Voll, John Obert, 1936
The Sudan: unity and diversity in a multicultural
state.
(Profiles. Nations of the contemporary Middle East)
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Sudan. I. Voll, Sarah Potts, 1942-
II. Title. III. Series.
DT154.6.V65 1985 962.4 84-21936
ISBN 0-86531-302-4
British Librarv Cataloguing in Publication Data
Voll, John Obert
The Sudan: unity and diversity in a multicultural state.
(Profiles: Nations of the contemporary Middle East)
1. SudanHistory
I. Title II. Voll, Sarah Potts III. Series
962.4 DT155.6
ISBN 0-7099-2617-0
Printed and bound in the United States of America
10987654321
To Robert C. and Dorothy C. Potts,
whose own collaboration
made this collaborative effort possible
Contents
A general introduction to the Sudan must in some way present both the tremendous diversity within the country and its special character. This double task provided the theme for this book. The Sudan is a country whose special character is that it presents a sense of unity within great diversity. The unity discussed in this book is not a simple concept of harmony. It is, instead, those elements of both shared interests and conflicts that have gradually tied people together into the entity called the Sudan. It is a network of shared experiences and common actions that provide the basis for our Sudanese identity in profile, a portrait that attempts to provide something more than a dry listing of the basic facts about the Sudan.
Because this book is designed primarily for the nonspecialist, we have not adopted a rigorous system of transliteration of words and terms from Arabic into English. We have, rather, tried to use the spellings that are most likely to be encountered by the reader in other information sources, especially newspapers and magazines.
In writing this work, we used a rather strict division of labor. The chapter on the economy is written by the economist, Sarah Potts Voll, and most of the rest has been written by the generalist, John Obert Voll. We have, however, discussed themes and coverage to a sufficient degree that all sections are at least to some extent jointly written.
We express our appreciation to those who helped to make this collaborative effort possible: to the patient editors of the series and those at Westview Press, who were understanding about our delays; to our children, who helped in many ways; and to Sarahs parents, to whom the book is dedicated.
John Obert Voll
Sarah Potts Voll
January 1985
Postscript
On 6 April 1985, General Abd al-Rahman Siwar al-Dhahab announced that the armed forces had taken control of the government of the Sudan, bringing to an end the government of Jafar Numayri and the era of the May revolutionary regime. This significant event took place in the last stages of the publication of this book. As a result, it is not discussed in the text, but it was possible to add this postscript.
The assumption of power by General Siwar al-Dhahab was a climax to a month of rapidly building crisis. The conflict in the southern Sudan continued, with major gains by the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM). There was growing dissatisfaction among professional northern Sudanese with Numayris leadership. The economic problems continued to worsen with no solutions in sight. Late in March Numayri suppressed the Muslim Brotherhood, relieving known associates of the Brotherhood from all government posts and arresting the leadership of the organization. Numayri thus cut himself off from his last well-organized group of supporters, who now joined the opposition.
This growing opposition received a concrete focus when Numayri acceded to pressures from the United States and the International Monetary Fund to impose economic austerity measures. Important government subsidies were stopped and food prices rose sharply. In late March and early April, while Numayri was on a visit to the United States, large-scale riots and demonstrations took place in the Sudan. The Sudanese army faced the prospect of bloody and possibly fruitless confrontations with the opponents of the regime. In order to avoid this, General Siwar al-Dhahab, who had been named commander in chief and minister of defense only a few days before Numayris trip to the United States, led the army in taking control of the government, dismissing Numayri and most high-level government leaders, dissolving the Sudan Socialist Union, and announcing the return to civilian government within a few months.
