sudan

• republic of the sudan, country in northeast africa bordering the red sea; region in northern africa
the republic of sudan is a country in north-east africa. it was ruled by britain and egypt from 1899 until independence in 1956. ethnic conflict followed, with the christian and animist south seeking secession from the muslim, more developed north. the sudanese people's liberation army (spla), led by colonel john garang, is the main guerrilla force in the south. in the early 1990s the spla divided and the civil war intensified with tribal factions fighting each other and the government for territory. lieutenant-general omar hassan ahmad al-bashir became president of sudan in a coup in 1989 and abolished political parties. sudan is a member of the arab league and the organization of african unity. large foreign debts and high inflation are major economic problems. recurring famine and influxes of refugees from chad and ethiopia are additional problems. sudan exports cotton, livestock, and gum arabic.