Sudanese Nationals Research Articles

Western Sudanese marginalization, coups in Khartoum and the structural legacies of colonial military divide and rule, 1924-present

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the long-term history underpinning the tension between the “national” army and provincial “militias” that led to the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023. Sudan’s British colonizers created the distinction between what would later become a professional military in the northern region of the country, and what were deemed as “tribal”, irregular and ethnically defined forces elsewhere. The aspiring revolutionaries of the post-independence era hoped they could use the military as a short-cut to social change and modernization that would sweep away the neo-tribal system of “Native Administration” imposed by the British, but by aligning themselves to an unreformed colonial army and economic system, found that they forced violent reactions in marginalized regions. The reactions included Western Sudanese involvement in attempts to change the regime in Khartoum by force in 1971, 1975, 1976, and 2008, which this paper documents. These crises exposed the broader tensions within Sudanese nationalism, based as it was on the ideal of synergy between military and people. The paper draws on a wide range of Arabic and English sources, including newspapers and archival content.

Chosen Peoples: Christianity and Political Imagination in South Sudan

Chosen Peoples: Christianity and Political Imagination in South Sudan

An Exploration of the Situation of Educational Technology Infrastructure in Sudanese General Education: A Case Study

In the last two decades, policymakers have considered Educational Technology Infrastructure (ETI) as a prerequisite for the successful implementation of Educational Technology Policies (ETP). This study aims to measure the situation of ETI in Sudan and display its importance in supporting ETP. Content analysis is used to demonstrate how specific attention is paid by US, UK, and China toward ETI as a crucial element in their ETP implementation, and how several factors are then determined to assess the infrastructure in Sudan based on experiences that the US, China, and World Bank have obtained. These include policies towards ETI; electricity supply; schools or classrooms connected to the internet; the ratio of students to computers; internet speed; and availability of digital resources. Recent years have witnessed e-learning projects and digital resources under construction by the Sudanese National Center for Curricula and Educational Research (NCCER) and UNICEF, but Sudan still faces various ETI problems, including (1) a lack of policy and vision towards ETI in Sudan; (2) Sudan’s ETI challenge of being a developing economy; (3) a sizable population living in areas without electricity coverage; (4) a low ratio of student to computer usage in public high schools (merely about 28:1). We conclude with proposing several workable solutions for improving the current situation of ETI in Sudan.

Understanding participation in non-farm activities in rural Sudan: across-sector study of irrigated and rainfed agricultural systems

PurposeThis paper examines the determinants of participation in non-farm activities in rural Sudan. It also investigates whether the factors that influence participation in non-farm activities vary across agriculture sub-sectors.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts the multinomial logit and probit methods on labour supply participation theory using the Sudanese National Baseline Household Survey (2009). The analysis was applied across job types and agriculture sub-sectors.FindingsThe results indicated that educational level, means of transportation, lack of land and access to formal agricultural credit are the most significant factors that push rural farmers to participate in non-farm activities. Surprisingly, the effect of household income was positive and significant, implying that individuals from rich households have higher opportunity to engage in non-farm activities compared to their poor counterparts. The results also revealed some variations in the factors that influence participation in non-farm activities according to the agricultural sub-sectors.Originality/valueThe originality of this article lies in investigating the factors that influence participation in non-farm activities across irrigated and rainfed systems. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study identifying the determinants of participation in non-farm activities across agriculture sub-sectors. Therefore, the paper fills an important gap in the literature and helps in designing appropriate pro-poor policies to allocate infrastructures across irrigated and rainfed areas in Sudan.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-02-2022-0092.

Sudanese Viewer Exposure to National Television and achieved gratifications

Sudanese Viewer Exposure to National Television and achieved gratifications is a study conducted to determine the follow-up level achieved by the channel’s viewers during the period from March 2020 to March 2021. The study dealt with the extent of the audience's interest for Sudanese Television channels, the types of programs that are most followed, the media services provided by the Sudanese National Television channel, and the satisfaction it may achieve in the field of news, discussions, and entertainment among the channel's audience.
 The study followed the analytical and descriptive statistical approach where several results concluded, the most important of which are: Sudanese National Televisions on the top of the viewers list favorites followed by Blue Nile channel and Sudanese 24 Channel. It also found that 53.2% of the study viewers’ samples prefers to follow News and political content programs.
 The study recommended the Sudanese National TV’s management providing an atmosphere to exercise true freedom, having more discussions through TV interviews while paying attention to content and presentation. It is also necessary to provide opportunities for the various political and cultural groups to present and discuss issues and allow them to contribute in finding solutions. A proposal is underway to establish specialized channels in the various programs and with an independent administration away from the government's dominance, budget, and direct executive authority.

A decade of travel-associated malaria at King Fahad Hospital of the University in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Travel-associated malaria is a health hazard, even in non-malaria endemic regions. This is a hospital-based retrospective study of 12,931 febrile patients who presented at King Fahad Hospital of the University (KFHU) from January 2009 to December 2019. Patients either returning from malaria endemic countries and/or for whom malaria was suspected, had blood films microscopically screened for malaria parasites. Malaria prevalence was very low in febrile patients attending KFHU. Out of the 12,931 febrile patients, 0.63% (n = 81) were malaria positive, all travel-related, except for one case of transfusion malaria. Indian nationals were the most infected (29.6%, n = 24), followed by Sudanese nationals (24.7%, n = 20). P. falciparum (47%, n = 38) and P. vivax (42%, n = 24) were the predominant species. The majority of P. falciparum (64.5%, n = 20) cases were from African nationals and the majority of P. vivax (72.7%, n = 24) cases were from Asia. The highest percentage of malaria patients were adult (90%, n = 73), males (85.2%, n = 69), ages ranged from 6 to 65, with a mean of 34.6 years. Most of the malaria cases presented at the emergency room (ER), only 3 required critical care. Only sex, hospitalized in-patient (IP) and attendance at ER were statistically associated with malaria. In the presence of a potential vector, travel-associated malaria in non-malaria endemic areas should be monitored to guide control strategies.Author summary: Malaria is a neglected potentially fatal tropical mosquito-born disease. Travel-associated malaria is a health hazard, even in non-malaria endemic regions. In spite of previous efforts to estimate malaria prevalence, morbidity and mortality in Saudi Arabia in the last decade, there have been no studies that determine the prevalence of malaria in Al-Khobar, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Malaria prevalence was very low in febrile patients (81/12,931) attending King Fahad Hospital of the University over a decade. Cases were all travel-related, except for one case of transfusion malaria. Indian nationals were the most infected (29.6%), followed by Sudanese nationals (24.7%). P. falciparum (47%) and P. vivax (42%) were the predominant species. The majority of P. falciparum (64.5%) cases were from Africa and the majority of P. vivax (72.7%) cases were from Asia. No patient factors predicted malaria in febrile travelers. In non-malaria endemic areas, in the presence of a potential vector, patients with acute fever coming from endemic areas or having received blood transfusion, should be screened for travel-associated malaria to guide control strategies.

Depression among attendants of the Sudanese National Association of the Blinds in Khartoum, Sudan

BackgroundBlindness has profound consequences for the victim, family, and society. The impact of vision loss on daily life activities could lead to psychological stress. Early treatment of depression may reduce the added disability that is associated with vision loss. This study aimed to assess the extent and associated factors with depression among the Sudanese blind people in Khartoum, Sudan. A cross-section facility-based study was conducted, in which depression among the participants was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory Scale. A chi-square test was implemented to determine the relationship between categorical variables and the significance level for all analyses was set at p < 0.05.ResultsA total of 185 participants were included in the study. Out of them, 84.3% were male and near half of the participants (42.2%) were born blind. The prevalence of depression among the participants was 11.4%. There were significantly higher rates of depression in those who were illiterate (χ2 = 6.233, p = 0.044) and in those whose loss of vision was due to accidents or traumatic causes and loss of vision due to accidents or traumatic causes (χ2 = 12.840, p = 0.002). There was significantly lower rate of depression in those who were born with blindness compared to others (χ2 = 10.504, p = 0.005).ConclusionsPeople who were born blind have a lower rate of depression and people who lost their sight due to trauma have a higher rate of depression, and therefore, requiring more psychiatric support. Despite the relatively low percentage of depression, establishing programs for early identification and combating depression among the blind population in our setting is highly recommended.

Analyses of the performance of the Ebola virus disease alert management system in South Sudan: August 2018 to November 2019.

South Sudan implemented Ebola virus disease preparedness interventions aiming at preventing and rapidly containing any importation of the virus from the Democratic Republic of Congo starting from August 2018. One of these interventions was a surveillance system which included an Ebola alert management system. This study analyzed the performance of this system. A descriptive cross-sectional study of the Ebola virus disease alerts which were reported in South Sudan from August 2018 to November 2019 was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods. As of 30 November 2019, a total of 107 alerts had been detected in the country out of which 51 (47.7%) met the case definition and were investigated with blood samples collected for laboratory confirmation. Most (81%) of the investigated alerts were South Sudanese nationals. The alerts were identified by health workers (53.1%) at health facilities, at the community (20.4%) and by screeners at the points of entry (12.2%). Most of the investigated alerts were detected from the high-risk states of Gbudwe (46.9%), Jubek (16.3%) and Torit (10.2%). The investigated alerts commonly presented with fever, bleeding, headache and vomiting. The median timeliness for deployment of Rapid Response Team was less than one day and significantly different between the 6-month time periods (K-W = 7.7567; df = 2; p = 0.0024) from 2018 to 2019. Strengths of the alert management system included existence of a dedicated national alert hotline, case definition for alerts and rapid response teams while the weaknesses were occasional inability to access the alert toll-free hotline and lack of transport for deployment of the rapid response teams which often constrain quick response. This study demonstrates that the Ebola virus disease alert management system in South Sudan was fully functional despite the associated challenges and provides evidence to further improve Ebola preparedness in the country.

Incompatibility of the Principle of Complementarity and Sharia for the Accountability of the Perpetrators of the International Crimes in Sudan’s Darfur

Incompatibility of the Principle of Complementarity and Sharia for the Accountability of the Perpetrators of the International Crimes in Sudan’s Darfur Kuel Maluil Jok Abstract This study seeks legal mechanisms on how the alleged individual commissioners of the crimes of genocide crimes against humanity and war crimes against the Fur, Zaghawa and Massaliet ethnic groups in Darfur of Sudan can be accountable to the ICC, after the removal of Al Bashir in April 2019, and remaining without international criminal charges except the domestic ones of Money Laundry and Terrorism in Sudan. Since 2009, the African Union has been resisting the arrest and surrender of Al Bashir to the International Criminal Court (ICC). At present, there is no consensual decision among the Sudanese nationals in power on how to address the arrest warrant issued by the ICC against Al Bashir and other Sudanese nationals. Some reject their accountability and other propose adoption of the principle of complementarity in national judiciaries. The latter suggestion generates conflict of laws, since Sudan is not a Party State to the ICC and its Criminal Act, 1991 with provisions of its Constitution are derived from the Sharia (Islamic Law). The study suggests that Sudan adopts either dualistic or monistic system in its judiciaries as alternative legal mechanism for the accountability of Al Bashir and other Sudanese fugitives from justice at the ICC, in The Hague. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jlcj.v8n2a2

The winter seasons of 2013 and 2014 in the Ghazali monastery

The article reports on archaeological and conservation work carried out by the expedition of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw in cooperation with the Sudanese National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums in two consecutive seasons in the winter of 2013 and 2014. The excavations focused on the southeastern part of the site. They led to the discovery of a second monastic church (South Church) adjoining the church (North Church) known from Peter Shinnie’s work at the site, as well as a sanitary complex consisting of latrines and associated rooms located along the east wall of the monastery. Building material from the South Church, textual and pottery finds recovered during the two seasons, as well as conservation of the wall plaster preserved in the North Church are reported in this article.

An insight into the Sudanese NSR regime foreign policy decision-making (1989–1999)

ABSTRACTThe paper examines the Sudanese National Salvation Revolution (NSR) regime foreign policy decision-making in the initial years. It provides an overview of formal and informal policy structures that carried out the National Islamic Front’s (NIF) external agenda, and the way state institutions were undermined in their pursuit to formulate or contribute in foreign policy direction. It offers an insight into Dr Hassan al-Turabi’s dominant role and influence in policy-making as the éminence grise of the NIF in power. The paper deliberates the implications of the form and shape of policy-making set up that led to the fragmentation of the NIF and the ejection of al-Turabi from the regime power formula. The Sudanese present political landscape shaped largely by this period and the intervention of ideology in the external affairs of the state. The paper reflects on the outcome of that phase on current Sudanese political context on issues related to the regional and international arena, domestic sphere and institutions.

Colonial Sudan: The Separate Administration of The South (1920-1933)

As a matter of fact, many educated Sudanese questioned whether there ever existed a coherent and comprehensive British policy toward the Sudan as a whole and toward its Southern Regions in particular. There was actually no room in Sudanese nationalism for continuing domination of the traditional leaders, and as Native Administration came under increasing attacks by the nationalists, so too did its resultant “Southern Policy”, with all its implications for separatism. Ten years after its promulgation, the Southern Policy was regarded by the nationalists as the very symbol of the British imperial dictum of Divide and Rule, intended to continue British control in the Sudan by perpetuating the separation of the country into two regions. Sudanese nationalists viewed the Southern Policy as part of a system which sought to search for the past not to look for the future, and to emphasize diversity not to encourage unity. Moreover, the language policy adopted in the South did not aim specifically at the exclusion of Islam and Arabic but more at the encouragement of English as a lingua franca. This created or intensified linguistic division, which still complicates North – South relations today. Sudanese nationalists continued to condemn the Southern Policy because its implementation, they considered, allowed the ultimate political arrangements of a unified Sudan to be indefinitely postponed. This section is reserved to the birth and execution of the Southern Policy, the factor most responsible for the Sudan’s present separation.

Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practice Regulatory Affairs in Sudan: Continuous Debate between Regulatory Authority and Manufacturers

Background: The implementation of GMP requirements in Sudan as developing country imposes pressure on both the manufacturers and regulatory authorities since resources are limited and additional regulatory and manufacturing facilities are required. Objective: The study aimed to assess the regulatory affairs of pharmaceutical good manufacturing practice in Sudan. Method: A structured questionnaire was given to the secretary general of the Sudanese National Medicines and Poisons Board (NMPB). Other different questionnaire was conducted to get information from manufacturers. The study questionnaire was validated and analyzed using SPSS software version 20. Results: The study findings from authority displayed a satisfactory relation between the manufacturers and regulatory authority. In contrast majority of manufacturers (5 out of 7) were not satisfied. Four of manufacturers were strongly agreed and agree with the Sudanese drug registration guidelines. Two of manufacturer’s complaints on delay of medicines release. It was found that there is a lack of local GMP regulatory documents. There is an absence of regulations regarding the reporting of the side effects of medicines by doctors or pharmacists. Capacity shortage is considered as the main problem faced by the Sudanese authority. Controlling the price of medicines is one of the functions of the NMPB. Conclusion: To strengthen the relation between the manufacturers and regulatory body there is need to enhance the efficiency of meeting. Local GMP guidelines are necessary to improve the application of current regulations. Lack of training personnel and shortage of facilities in pharmaceutical factoriesexert difficulty in implementation of require GMP. Adoption of a law to report the side effects improve the safety of medicines. NMPB pricing system helps in minimizing escalating GMP implementation costs, but it affected by economic instability. Government support, enhancement of technical cooperation and information exchange with other authorities in different countries will speed up improvement in the GMP regulatory status in Sudan.

Production and standardization of RBPT and SAT Brucella antigens using Sudanese National Standard antiserum

Production and standardization of RBPT and SAT Brucella antigens using Sudanese National Standard antiserum

Key Threats of Statelessness in the Post-Secession Sudanese and South Sudanese Nationality Regimes

Following the secession of South Sudan from Sudan on 9 July 2011 both countries have passed new citizenship legislation with dramatic effects for the rights of individuals on both sides of the new border. While the South Sudanese nationality provisions appear generous its regime is at once both over and under-inclusive. It grants citizenship to a broad range of persons with little connection to South Sudan but fails to guarantee citizenship for individuals habitually resident in South Sudan and children born in South Sudan to stateless, undocumented or foreign parents. The Sudanese Act provides for the automatic denationalisation of South Sudanese nationals only and reserves to its own authorities the discretion to determine whether South Sudanese nationality has been acquired. This will lead to de jure statelessness as individuals denationalised by operation of the Sudanese law struggle to establish their nationality claims in South Sudan. Those individuals who have acquired South Sudanese citizenship but remain in Sudan are left as de facto stateless in the continuing absence of effective state protection from South Sudan.

The problems of research and the plight of researchers in some developing countries: Sudan as an example

Purpose: The purpose of this viewpoint paper is to review the past and current status of research and the problems facing research and researchers in developing countries, giving Sudan as an example. Design/methodology/approach: The source of the material is published papers, data from reports in grey literature and personal experience of the author in research over the last 50 years. Findings: A major problem is paucity or lack of funding by the government, the local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. Consequently many of the local health problems, particularly those affecting the poor, are not addressed properly. Most of the research in the past was between Sudanese and foreign research institutions, mainly in Europe. These were funded by the European Union or directly by a European country. This collaboration resulted in the development of infrastructure and the training of Sudanese scientists to take the lead in research on local problems. The Sudanese National Council for Research, with its specialized councils, played a major role in this. At present there is no effective national body entrusted with coordinating and funding research. With the recent sanctions imposed on Sudan, we have lost most external funding. Had it not been for some NGOs in Europe such as the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), it would have been impossible to perform any meaningful research. Even if we secure local funds we are unable to buy equipment or reagents

Staging a new South Sudan in the USA: men, masculinities and nationalist performance at a diasporic beauty pageant

This article explores the gendering of cultural nationalism at a South Sudanese beauty pageant with a focus on the promotional work, organizing efforts and performances of men. Through a visual and textual discourse analysis of materials related to the event, as well as a series of interviews with participants, promoters, judges and audience members, I argue that these male participants articulate a distinctly masculinized form of South Sudanese nationalism. They do so by promoting notions of both a shared, militarized and oppressive past and a peaceful, proud and celebratory future. Central to the production of this nationalist imaginary is an emphasis on the healing of past ethnic-regional conflicts within the South and an image of South Sudanese unity and brotherly, non-violent masculinity. However, whilst pageantry emcees, speakers and musicians call on men to build and nurture the ‘New South Sudan’, the event itself emerges as a site for conflict both online and in incidences of physical violence amongst young male attendees. Members of the community understand this conflict to be bound up with a sense of ethnic-regional allegiance as well as a collective crisis experienced by many young men following the war and amidst the challenges of life in the diaspora. In this way, the pageant works to promote South Sudanese nationalism through the efforts, performances and bodies of young men and the scripting of peaceful nationalist masculinities – even as these are contested and contradicted behind the scenes.

“God gave this land to us”: A Biblical Perspective on the Tension in South Sudan between Tribal Lands, Ethnic Identity and the Breadth of Christian Salvation

AbstractLike many parts of Africa, South Sudan has experienced ethnic animosities which have led to violent clashes, destruction of property, and loss of life. Many of these conflicts are over land and resources and are rooted in a spiritual attachment to traditional tribal lands which are seen as gifts of God to both steward and protect.In dialogue with an African theology of place, this paper seeks to propose biblical foundations for ethnic coexistence, as seen in Acts 17:22–31, and to examine how Paul’s Athenian sermon balances the ethnic particularities of land and tribe with the universal call to Christian salvation. Drawing on twenty interviews with South Sudanese nationals, this paper uses an integrated research method, accessing theological, biblical, and sociological perspectives to ask whether Acts 17 might suggest an approach to issues of land and tribalism in South Sudan.

HIV and AIDS related knowledge, beliefs and attitudes among rural communities hard to reach in Sudan

Background and Objective: There is a rising concern about Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) related knowledge in rural communities of Sudan. This study focuses on determining the extend of knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about HIV/ AIDS among rural communities difficult to access in the six States of Sudan. Subjects and Methods: Six thousand and one hundred twenty five respondents were interviewed through the method of house-to-house visits. A structured questionnaire was administered by research assistants recruited from the Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum University during a rural residency campaign in six states of Central, Eastern and Northern Sudan during 2008/2009. Results: Of the total interviewees, 48% were aware of the HIV/AIDS risk; 46% reported to have good health seeking behaviors for HIV/AIDS. 54.4% of women reported to have better knowledge about the disease than men (45.6%). 38% (2005) had not heard of safety use of condom whereas 16% (320) had used it. Logistic regression revealed that 5.3% of knowledge about the disease was explained by gender, education and religion adjusted over age of the respondents. Conclusions: Mass media were the most common source of information about the existent risk of HIV/AIDS in rural communities. These findings could assist Sudanese National Aids Programme (SNAP), healthcare providers and policymakers to develop informative materials and health education programs to educate rural community is about the risk of HIV/AIDS.

Season of Migration to the North and the story of the Sudanese Nation: Hopes and Impediments

Season of migration to the North has been variously described as a novel of events, a postcolonial quest novel, and more than little postmodern novel. Having won large audience across the globe, Season of Migration to the North has been acclaimed as one of the first hundred masterpieces in the world and the best Arabic novel in the twentieth century. While Season of Migration to the North has been conceived thus, not much attention has been paid to it as a story of national interests. This study argues thatSeason of Migration to the North looks in particular at the crisis of the Sudanese nation. The novel’s use of expressions such as ‘slave’ and ‘master,’ 'local man’ and ‘stranger,’ ‘south’ and ‘north’ epitomizes its approach to highlighting the fate of the Sudanese people as a nation. This paper explores the relationship between this novel and the Sudanese nation. It reads, that is to say, the novel against the grain. It overlooks the journey outside, the journey undertaken by the protagonist from Sudan to Britain. It considers, instead, the journey inside as much as from the outskirts of Khartoum to the village at the bend of the Nile. This south-northward journey through the Sudanese landscape poses the question, ‘How do the Sudanese people see themselves as a nation?’ This paper tries to come close to answering this question. Key words: Master, slave, local man, stranger, janjawid, zurga, sons of the North, sons of the West, Northerners, non-Northerners.