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Sudan
EXTERNAL SECURITY CONCERNS
The largest nation in Africa, Sudan has a common frontier with
eight other countries. It occupies a strategic location on the
continent. Its capital, Khartoum, is situated at the junction
of the White Nile and the Blue Nile. Via its port on the Red Sea,
Port Sudan, the nation is linked to the Arab countries of the
Middle East. To the south, it is adjacent to the tropical lake
country of central Africa. In the west, it is exposed to recurrent
conflict among Chadian factions and potential contention with
Libya. Even under stable conditions, it would be impracticable
for Sudan to devote sufficient military force to ensuring the
security of its entire periphery. Fortunately, few problems have
arisen necessitating a strong military presence along the boundaries
with Egypt, Kenya, Central African Republic, and Zaire. Threats
to the stability of the border area have generally been confined
to Chad on the west, Ethiopia on the east, and, to a lesser degree,
Uganda in the south.
Relations between Sudan and Egypt have varied but in general
in the 1970s and 1980s were characterized by differences over
such matters as use of the Nile waters. Egypt subscribed to a
stable, militarily viable Sudan because it regarded Sudanese territory
as providing depth to its own strategic defenses, buffering it
from potential threats emanating from sub-Saharan Africa. The
border between Egypt and Sudan was unguarded except for minimal
policing to discourage smuggling and drug trafficking.
Sudan's Darfur Province contiguous with Chad was unstable during
most of the 1980s. This resulted from the combination of Chadian
combatants operating from bases on Sudanese territory, Libyan
troops and Libyan-supported units of the Islamic Legion crossing
the border in search of rebels, and fighting among Arab and non-Arab
ethnic groups (see Chad
, ch. 4). Arms were easily available in the border zone. Conceivable,
Libya might desist from further interference in Darfur following
the victory of the Chadian rebels under Idris Deby with Libyan
help in December 1990.
The 1,600-kilometer border between Ethiopia and Sudan was disturbed
because both nations provided each other's insurgents with military
assistance and sanctuary. In the northeast, the Sudanese government
supported the Eritrean People's Liberation Front that operated
from Sudanese territory at Port Sudan. The Tigray People's Liberation
Front were also given facilities at Al Qadarif. Ethiopia retaliated
by providing the SPLA insurgents in the south with supplies and
bases. Sudan periodically accused Ethiopia of carrying out bombing
raids against the estimated 100,000 Eritrean refugees living in
camps and villages in eastern Sudan.
A comparable situation prevailed on Sudan's border with Uganda.
In 1986 and 1987, the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, accused
Sudan of allowing its territory to be used as a haven in cross-border
attacks by 3,000 members of the former Ugandan army loyal to the
deposed dictator, Idi Amin Dada. Sudan, in turn, charged that
SPLA units were receiving aid from Uganda. In mid-1990, the Sudanese
government announced that an agreement had been reached providing
for the establishment of border security posts and that each country
would prohibit its territory from being used for hostile attacks
against the other.
Data as of June 1991
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