WELCOME TO SUDAN

  1.      Located between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer, the Republic of the Sudan is the largest country in Africa (tenth largest in the world), covering approximately 2.5 mn square kilometers from Egypt in the north to Uganda in the south. It shares over 11,000 km of borders with nine countries. Positioned in the heart of Africa, it became a natural zone of interaction between the Hamitic Arabs and the black Africans. Throughout the centuries, groups of people and whole tribes crossed freely into the Sudan, where they culturally blended and intermingled with native populations.

2.         This racial intermixture of over 500 tribes speaking about 115 languages from the Nubians along the Nile and the nomadic Beja of the east to the Nuba from central Sudan and the proud Shelluk, Nuer and Dinka from the South has produced Sudan’s different ethnic groups and unique cultures (sometimes the country is called a microcosm of Africa). Although Arabic is the official language, English is widely spoken in the South and indigenous languages are well and alive.

3.      The Sudan that straddles various ecological zones, extending from barren and arid desert regions in the north to tropical rain forests in the extreme south is a land of delightful contrast, boasting desert caravans, lush river valleys and more pyramids than Egypt itself. There is overwhelming diversity in natural resources, livelihoods and human settlements.

4.      Long known for civil war, famine and radical Islam, Sudan is in reality a much warmer place. Its history is dominated by the interplay between its northern and southern parts. At different times the North, with its riverine culture along the Nile has represented the interests of Pharaonic Egypt, the indigenous civilization of Kush and the Arab culture of Islam. The South, with its African heritage, has stood for the natural wealth of the continent and has provided many of the resources that allowed the north to prosper. For centuries this north-south tension has provided the motor for cultural exchange, trade, exploitation and war.

5.      Discovery of Paleolithic tools is evidence of an Old Stone Age community in Sudan, probably in the fifth-fourth millenniums BC. Trade relations, inaugurating the routes (especially for human cargo) that have sustained Sudanese commerce for centuries, followed Egyptian incursions around 2,800 BC. The ancient Egyptians first knew Nubia, the land south of the first Cataract at Aswan as Ta-Seti or “land of the Bow” due to the fighting prowess of its inhabitants, they later called it Kush or “the wretched”. Gold and copper were mined and stone quarried and shipped to the north. Remains of strategically located forts along the Nile suggest an elaborate system of defence and communication.

6.      A strong Sudanese kingdom (Kush) arose in 750 BC at Napata (near modern Meroe) and repaid the compliment by conquering Egypt, feverishly copying Egyptian culture. As the keepers of the Temple of Amun at Jebel Barkal, the Kushites saw themselves as the true guardians of Egyptian religion and tradition. The Romans came around 23 BC but eventually sued for peace, unable to control the rebellious Kushites. Nero sent an expedition to trace the source of the Nile; it was stuck in the Sadd, the vast swamp of papyrus and marshes in the south.  A period of uncertainty led to the arrival of Christianity in the 6th century. Kush declined, and Christian monarchs ruled Nubia. The division of Sudan into a northern kingdom (Muqarra) and a southern one (Alawa) continues to reverberate today.

7.      Islam came in the 7th century through Egypt, but the Nubians stopped the Arab armies. The peace treaty or baqt (the world’s first treaty between states) lasted 600 years with Nubia offering slaves (often obtained from Darfur) in return for crops. Trade relations were established and a border drawn up just south of Aswan. Small pockets of Christian influence survived until 1500.

8.      Rapid Islamization began with the Turkish Mameluke rulers of Sudan in the 14th century leading to the emergence of the Funj Kingdom based in Sinnar (the famous Black Sultans), during which Shendi became a major commercial centre for sending slaves to Cairo’s markets. Christian missionaries entered southern Sudan around 1850.  In 1821, the Turkish Pasha of Egypt Mohammed Ali decided to solve the Sudanese question, and get slaves, ivory and gold by annexing it. Thus began the Turquiya (or Turkish-Egyptian) period in Sudan’s history when its human and natural resources were plundered to the hilt.

 THE PEOPLE

 9.    The Sudanese are warm hearted, generous and caring to a fault. Their politeness and hospitality are legendary. Foreigners (colloquially referred to as “khwaja”) are treated with kindness and consideration. The system is laid back and relaxed. A common joke is Sudan’s philosophy of IBM (not the Information Technology giant) but Inshallah (God willing) Bukra (tomorrow) Maalesh (sorry).

 SUDAN-INDIA

 10.    Interaction between India and Sudan goes back at least 5,000 years with evidence of trade between the Indus Valley Civilization and the Nile Valley Civilization. The ancient Kush kingdom of Sudan, just south of the first Nile cataract (modern Aswan), reached its apogee some 2,000 years ago. Its pre-eminent deity Apedemak, associated with war, is depicted in the famous temples of Naqa (30 km east of the Nile) as a triple headed god emerging from a lotus. Some archaeologists confidently claim Indian influence through the ancient Red Sea port of Adulis!

 11.    By 1699, Sennar, the capital of the Black Funj Sultanate, traded extensively with India through Suakin Port, and many rich women in the court could be seen wearing silk, silver rings and ringlets and heavy kohl make up. In the 18th century, Indian merchants regularly visited the major market town of Shendi (infamous as the centre of the slave trade) northeast of Khartoum to buy the leather, gold, wood and animals (camels and horses) of the south and sell spices, sandalwood (still hugely popular in Sudan) and medicines. 

 12.    The pastoral Beja, some 5% of Sudan’s population, are a Hamitic people, one of Sudan’s oldest groups. Immortalized for their martial spirit by Rudyard Kipling as the “fuzzy wuzzies” for their shock of curly hair, the Bejas claim origin from India. Their language, spoken from the chest (heart) rather than from the lips, could be related to ancient Prakrit.

 13.    India enjoys a special place in the heart of every Sudanese, reinforced by India’s responsiveness to Sudan’s developmental needs and of course Indian films.  Sudan has not forgotten India’s contribution to its independence movement and to the presence of Indian experts and teachers in the early years of freedom. At the 1955 Bandung Conference, the delegation from a still not independent Sudan did not have a flag to mark its place. Taking out his handkerchief, Jawaharlal Nehru wrote Sudan on it and put it on a chair, thus reserving a place for Sudan in the international community.

 14.    Thousands of Sudanese have studied in India either with Indian Government funding or as self-financing students. Many Sudanese merchants made India their second home. Indian films are hugely popular, and without dubbing or subtitling dominate local cinema halls. India is everywhere in Sudan through the ubiquitous Tata buses and Bajaj auto-rickshaws (and since 2006 Maruti cars), found in all towns and cities. Indians would feel at home in this beautiful country.

 15.    The settled Indian community, some 160 years old, now numbers close to 1,500 and lives chiefly in Khartoum, Port Sudan, Omdurman, Kassala and Gedaref. In addition, there are almost 3,000 Indian professionals (growing by the month).

 16.    There are at least three decent Indian restaurants (and one Indian hotel) in Khartoum.

 MUSIC

17.    Surprisingly, Sudanese music is neither Arab nor African but distinctively Sudanese. Some claim it resembles Chinese music in scale while retaining some African and Arab rhythms. The tamboor (a kind of chordophone-like musical instrument) is found all over the country. Nihas and other drums are used in celebrations. Dancing is a way of life for every Sudanese tribe and reflects traditional life including farming, rain, hunting, heroism, chivalry and religion. Typical examples include the kambala of the Nuba Mountains, the “leap dance” of the Dinka, nuggurah of the Miseiryah, the sword dance of the Beja, barabrah of the Halfa and the eponymous Shaiqiyah of its tribe.

 CLOTHING

 18.    Even though Western clothes are much in vogue, traditional Sudanese dress retains its hold. The jalabiya, a loose cotton gown, is widely used by men and the wrap-around tobe by women. Lower lip tattooing (daq al-shalufah) is common among women as is use of henna. Zar is a fascinating rite in which women become possessed seeking relief from illness or other problems. Visitors to Sudan, especially women, are advised to dress modestly. Woolens are never required in Sudan.

 MARRIAGE

 19.    Those fortunate to be invited to a traditional Sudanese wedding (in North or South) would be fascinated by the unique rituals including the jertik that is really an exchange of messages of faith and hope between the bride and groom. There are a few Indian women married to Sudanese men and vice versa.

 CUISINE

 20.    Northern Sudanese cuisine is relatively uncomplicated with wheat flour as the staple, underlying the claim that the ancient Nubians were the first to discover wheat. The circular wheat-based gourassa is served with stew or mullah, the most famous stew being a mixture of dried okra and meat (um rigaya). In the east, the staple is moukhbaza made of banana paste. In the pastoral west, milk and dairy products predominate, while a distinctive cereal called dukhun is sued to make porridge (aseedat dukhun). With its abundance of rivers, swamps and lakes, the South depends on fish. The popular fish stew kajaik is served with sorghum-flour porridge (asseda).

 RECREATION

 21.    Laid out by its colonial rulers in the form of the Union Jack, Khartoum is hot and dusty for most of the year, but there are tourist attractions for those with a taste for adventure including desert camping. Sudan is a land of delightful contrast, boasting deserts, lush river valleys and more pyramids than Egypt itself. The confluence of the two Niles (mougran) near Khartoum is a breathtaking spectacle. Other institutions that must be visited include the Ethnographical Museum, Sudan National Museum, Natural History Museum, the unique Camel Market (especially busy on Fridays), Nuba wrestling tournaments, Omdurman handicrafts market, Islands on the Nile, Omdurman’s dancing and whirling dervishes, Hamad El-Nil Tomb, Commonwealth War Cemetery, Omdurman Boat Yard, Saydat El Bushara Chruch (estd. 1800), Farouk’s Mosque etc. 

 22.    Remember that since 1983 Sudan is under sharia law so alcoholic beverages are liable to be confiscated at the airport. The South is exempt from sharia since January 2005.

 WILD LIFE

 23.    Sudan has more land-based big mammals that any other country. Game reserves have been in existence since the 1930s. At least 34 species of antelope have been identified, while there are plenty of gazelle, addax, duiker, sitatunga, buffalo, chimpanzees, giant forest hogs and Nile Lechwe.

 SHOPPING

 24    Owing to US sanctions, credit cards are not acceptable, so prepare to deal in cash. Sudanese Pounds (SDG) are the most acceptable currency although some shops will accept dollars. The Dinar replaced the Sudanese pound in the mid 1990s to curb inflation, and the new Pound replaced the Dinar in January 2007, and if you can figure that out, good luck. Many people still quote prices in old pounds. One new pound is equivalent to one thousand (old) pounds so a quoted price of 5,000 might actually mean 5 new pounds.   

 25.    In African terms, shops in Sudan are generally well stocked and visitors will find a general store, pharmacy, or other shop stocking what they need in most towns. In the cities, it is also possible to buy a good selection of hi-tech goods at unimaginably high prices.

 26.    For the handicraft shopper, Sudan has much to offer.  The mother of all markets is the sprawling Omdurman souq, across the Nile from Khartoum, where almost everything is on sale, including huge wicker baskets for you to carry it all home in.

 27.    Carved wood and painted leather goods are prolific.  Sudanese attire also makes for good souvenirs, from white jallabiyas for men to bright tobes for women.  Jewellery is popular and one can sometimes find the chunky silver jewellery worn by Rashaida women; delicate gold bracelets are more favoured by the Nubians.  Kassala is the best place for knives; some Beja men may even try to sell you a sword.

 28.    There are some animal products on sale in Sudan that would upset conservationists.  Dried crocodile heads and stuffed lizards and snakes crop up frequently, as do ivory pieces.

 COMMUNICATIONS

 29.    Like most of the developing world, Sudan has taken the mobile phone to its heart. Be prepared to have your interlocutor stop mid-sentence to answer his mobile and keep you waiting while he chats away without batting an eyelid! The quality and coverage are still evolving. International calls can cost up to US$ 1 per minute. India helped set up Sudani, the first CDMA service in Sudan. It works well. Phone connections in South Sudan need improvement.

 TRANSPORT

 30.    The public transport system in Khartoum and other big cities is cheap. Buses or the local Boksi (a kind of open pickup) are fun and crowded. Many taxi drivers do not speak English and there is no system of meters, so do fix the fare in advance. Roads (Sudan has less than 8,000 KM of paved roads)) are slowly improving.  Driving in Sudan is to the right hand of the road. Petrol and diesel are easily available, relatively cheap and sometimes adulterated.

 LAW AND ORDER

 31.    Khartoum has generally remained peaceful despite civil war and military rule.  With the signing of a comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government and SPLM/A in January 2005 the security situation in the country improved, although the situation in Darfur remains unstable. The death of former First Vice President John Garang (also President of the Government of Southern Sudan) in a helicopter crash in July 2005 provoked serious riots in Khartoum and other cities.

32.     A daring attack on Omdurman-Khartoum by Darfur rebels in May 2008 shocked everybody. Despite strong feelings, there was no trouble in Khartoum in July 2008 when the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asked for an arrest warrant against the President of Sudan.

33.     Khartoum is a safe place, as is most of Sudan.

 HEALTH

 34.    The Sudanese health system is one of the best in Africa despite the drain of the civil war that compelled many doctors to migrate. Medical facilities in Sudan are improving. A new well-equipped hospital, Sahiroon, has opened recently.

 ASSISTANCE AND ADVICE

 35.    Indian visitors are welcome to contact the Embassy for advice, assistance and information. We work Sunday through Thursday 0830-1700 hours We shall do our best to make your stay enjoyable and memorable.

Embassy of India
Alamarat Street, Block 12, Plot No. 2
Khartoum II
Phone: + 249 1 8357 4001/2/3
Fax: + 249 1 8357 4050/51
Email: sscom@indembsdn.com   /  hoc@indembsdn.com
Website: www.indembsdn.com

OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS: 0922458005