Elaborate_September Issue

1 | Elaborate
Elaborate
Altayeb
SalihA True Sudanese
Palm Tree
Can Sudan Be
REBRANDED?
To Print
or Not to
Print
Hammour
Ziada
A $4.5 Billion
plan to share
the water of
the Nile
A Being With
A Background
Issue7,September2015
Sudan’s only Regional English magazine for current affairs
Report analysis Statistics interviews Country Profile

Elaborate | 2
SEPTEMBER 2015
TRAVEL
CONTENTS
66
52
06
44
58
40
60
66
10
50
68
Hall of Fame
The American University in Cairo
Press announced today the award
of the 2014 Naguib Mahfouz
Medal for Literature to the
Sudanese writer Hammour Ziada...
Statistics
Media
At a time where technology
seems to spearhead the direction
or the future of various industries,
print journalism...
The Nile
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia took
a step to defuse tensions around
Ethiopia’s construction of a
massive dam on the Blue Nile...
Travel
Agriculture
Sudan News
Views
Arts
Obituary

3 | Elaborate
Education
Professor Eltayeb Ali Ahmed
Abusin, Elaborate’s Education
Consultant, talks about the
importance of...
Interview
Jens Petter
Kjemprud
Norway’s
Ambassador to
Sudan
Women
Zeinab for Women Development
(ZWD) is and NGO founded in
2000 focusing on direct...
COVER
STORY
25
25
26
14
37 Nation Branding
The straightforward definition of
the tem “brand” is a name, term,
sign, symbol, design, or any
combination of them...

Elaborate | 4
“The magazine is fabulous; rich
content and very attractive ..
Thank you so much for sharing”
Sara Omer, Tijari
“Congratulations to Mazin and team
on an elaborate effort. We will support
you in every way we can”Dr. Ahmed Youssef Ali, Psychiatry
Section Manager, NationalRehabilitation Center, Abu Dhabi
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out, quality , features
and information Wishing
you all the best with the
future editions”
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Manager – Abu Dhabi
Distribution Company
“Appreciated efforts to reflect the
true image of the Sudan”
Hisham Alkhidir, Abu Dhabi
Urban Planning Council,
Abu Dhabi
Sudan VOICES
We at ELABORATE believe that readers are the pillars of this publication. Their VOICES
are the directions in our compass. We go wherever they want us to head. Please write to
voices@elaboratemagazine.com to let us know where to go.VOICES are for Direction. Thank You
“I read this issue and it is really an
appreciative endeavor. I really value
your sincere effort to tackle Sudan
related issues in an objective manner.
Our beloved Sudan needs mobilization
of efforts to salvage it from the suffrage it
is undergoing nowadays . I am glad and
interested indeed to receive ELABORATE.”
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Khartoum
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DoT, Abudhabi
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you all he best.”
Dr. Ibrahim M. El Sanhouri
Transportation Planning
Manager – PARSONS
“Really appreciate how your brings your news,
business innovations especially covering South Sudan
news and businesses”.
William Clement-Talent Management Program-
DAL Group
“You have definitely chosen a very difficult project,
but, as I said, as a Sudanese citizen, this is a dream
come true”
Isam Al Asad – Sharjah National Oil Company
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to support this initiative.” Ihab Nafie, Infrasturct
ure Project Manager, Abu Dhabi Urban
Planning Council, Abu Dhabi

5 | Elaborate
Editor’s Note
A New “Migration Season” of Hope
“The notion
of image and
reputation is a
direct product
of how a nation
manages its
relationships with
others”
“TheWorld is a fine place and worth fighting for”were Ernest Hemingway’s words that capture
the seemingly contradicting facts that preside over our own existence. Fighting for a fine place
means guarding its values, defending its beliefs, and preserving its culture. Hemingway surely did
not mean going to war or raging battles against those you perceive as enemies. On the contrary,
humanity should spare no effort in resisting the temptations of reverting to force when defend-
ing an idea, a concept, or a land.
In the past couple of years, our country has experienced numerous challenges that would rock
any establishment regardless of size, population or economic state.The skirmish with South
Sudan threatened a return to the half-a-century all out war, the economy was dealt a blow after
the loss of the oil revenue, the falling value of the national currency led to numerous economic
challenges, the unrests in Darfur continue to be a painful wound in our country’s body putting
pressure on our development efforts, and the constant outflow of professionals keeps draining
the country from its much needed human resources.
Despite all this, our country remains, to us Sudanese, as one of the most beautiful spots to live in.
And despite the fact that most of us reading this magazine most probably reside outside Sudan,
we never lost that connection with our homeland. Nothing can describe a Sudanese individual
better than Altayeb Salih’s words“I feel a sense of stability ... that I am continuous and integral.
No, I am not a stone thrown into the water but a seed sown in a field”. Sudanese people possess a
great sense of orientation no matter where they go in the world or what they do in life.
ELABORATE was launched with a focus of helping both Sudanese and non-Sudanese to revisit
their perception about the country.The notion of image and reputation is a direct product of
how a nation manages its relationships with those interacting with it. During the past couple of
years, Sudan’s international image has always been of war, famine, failed state and poverty.We
cannot, and should not, blame the outside world for this.We probably did just about enough to
help create this negative image. An image is a product of demonstrated behaviour which leads
to others making certain decisions that shape the perception of others. In this issue we look into
how Sudanese institutions can work as an integrated unit in order to promote a positive image
and build a reputation of trust and value with its stakeholders. Nation Branding is a topic of great
importance and adopting a national branding initiative can greatly benefit our country in its
attempt to pull itself out of the pit hole created by politicians.
It is high time that we take charge of our image creation through a systematic effort that begins
with a clear understanding of who we are in light of the secession of the southern part of the
country. People of Sudan should make an effort to transfer their country through their behaviour
both home and abroad. One of the vital components of this systematic effort is better synergy
between diplomacy and the Sudanese Diaspora.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not the sole
custodian of“diplomacy”. Media, Education, Investment, andTourism can, and should, all contrib-
ute in creating the effective image that eventually leads to the much sought after positive reputa-
tion which will then act as a gateway into a better economic situation. It is neither an attempt to
oversimplify the way out from the current challenging situation, nor is it an elitist claim that holds
no solid foundation in today’s reality. It is simply the hard and long way that can lead to a better
tomorrow.
In this issue we also take a beautiful journey accompanying the amazing Altayeb Salih, a Suda-
nese icon, who migrated to the heart of every Sudanese, arriving with another writer, a younger
Hammour Ziada who upheld the Sudanese supremacy literature flag by winning the prestigious
Naguib Mahfouz’s 2015 Literature Award. And while on the migration topic, we peek into how
Sudanese Diaspora can contribute to the development of their nation.The issue also looks into
one of our valuable assets and unique treasures, agriculture, and delves into water issues by
looking into the Great Renaissance Dam next door in Ethiopia.
This issue will not be completed without addressing and recognising the Darfur issue.We opted
to start here by giving a neutral account of what is happening in that part of our country in terms
of statistics and facts.We will dedicate significant space in our future issues for scholars and re-
searchers to elaborate more on this ongoing struggle of our people in that region of our country.
Future younger generations will need to understand what went happened in Darfur.
ELABORATE aims to become one of the effective and practical tools that will enable a better
possibility of constructing and managing a lively and energetic country image based on our
beautiful and diversified identity.This will benefit the country’s international trade, public sector,
private businesses, investment, tourism, international relations and the entire nation. Going back
to Hemingway’s words, I conclude by saying“Sudan is a fine place and it is worth fighting for”.
Mazin Abusin, Editor
EDITORIAL
Editor: Mazin Abusin
mazin.abusin@elaborateagazine.com
Art editor: Maha Al Khulaidi
maha.alkhulaidi@elaboratemagazine.com
Designer: Ifteqar Ahmed Syed
Syed.ali@elaboratemagazine.com
Staff writer: Reem Mazin
reem.mazin@elaboratemagazine.com
Staff writer/sub editor: Adam Soney
adam.soney@elaboratemagazine.com
Picture desk: Loay Derar
loay.derar@elaboratemagazine.com
Editorial secretary: Samah Yousif
samah.yousif@elaboratemagazine.com
ADVERTISING
Sales Manager: Waleed Mustafa
waleed.mustafa@elaboratemagazine.
com
Business Development Manager: Tariq
Yousif
tariq.yousif@elaboratemagazine.com
MANAGMENT
Publishing manager: Wadah Abusin
wadah.abusin@elaboratemagazine.com
Licensing director: Yassir Awad
Yassir.awad@elaboratemagazine.com
Licensing executive: Khalid Osman
Khalid.osman@elaboratemagazine.com
International circulation manager:
Ebtehal Gelwan
ebtehal.gelwan@elaboratemagazine.com
Production manager: Leena Abusin
leena.abusin@elaboratemagazine.com

Elaborate | 6
STATISTICS
Minerals
Petroleum, Iron,
Gold, Steel, Zink
Rural internet
coverage
66%
Landline
Subscribers
544.684
Mobile Subscribers 17.369.502
Mobile Users (above 15 years old)
68.2% of the population
Internet users 11.050.000 person
Geographical Internet coverage 65.8%
Coverage to population 90%
Rural internet coverage 66%
Internet users
11,050,000
person
Population
Total Number
33.419.625
Increase rate
52%
Fertility Rate
3.9%
Geographical
Internet
coverage
65.8%

7 | Elaborate
Total Percentage of non-oil exports 9%
Population working in agriculture
50.23%
Agricultural land 200 million acres
Land cultivated annually 40 million acres
(20%)
Irrigated land 11 million acres
Irrigated land by rain 29 million acres
Crops
Corn, tobacco, wheat, cotton, peanuts,
sugarcane, dates, sunflower.
Area 1.882.00 Km²
In comparison to the world 16 World Wide
2nd African
3rd Arab
River Nile of total area 67.4%
Percentage of students (6 years old) 80.5%
Percentage of Students in High School 36.4%
Percentage of Students in Universities 14%
Number of Schools (Basic) 18.052
Number of Students (Basic) 4.935.113
Number of Teachers (Basic) 161.390
Number of Schools (Secondary) 3.339
Number of Students (Secondary) 750.432
Number of Teachers (Secondary) 29.452
Number of Schools (Technical) 170
Number of Students (Technical) 27.205
Number of Teachers (Technical) 1.915
Number of Higher Education Institutions 73
Number of Governmental Universities 33
Number of Private Universities 5
Number of Faculties 35
University Professors 20.645 (Ph.D, M.Sc., Assistant
Professor, Lecturer)
Location
North-eastern
Africa, bordering
the Red Sea,
between Egypt
and Eritrea
Percentage
of Students in
High School
36.4%
STATISTICS
Agriculture
Contribution
to the GDP
36%
Agriculture
Population
working in
agriculture
50.23%
Women
education
started in
1907
Share of education
in government
expenditures
12%

Elaborate | 8
DIASPORA
DIASPORA
A Soft Power of Change
The size of a country’s populace can no longer be calculated within the
contours of its borders, rather it must be viewed through the global lens
of migration and encompass those who are defined as ‘the Diaspora.’
The international movement of people is an important feature of this
integrated global economy. A country’s Diaspora constitutes an immense
source of ‘soft power’.
efore going deep
in the topic, first
Diaspora is defined
according to the
International
Organization for
Migration as the
idea of transnational populations, living
in one place, while still maintaining
relations with their homelands, being
both ‘here’ and ‘there.’
Why does Diaspora matter?
Diasporas can bring ‘the world to the
homeland’ and ‘the homeland to the
world’. In other words, Diasporas may
improve access to capital, knowledge
and new technology, and play an
important role for social development,
growth opportunities, and connection
between markets and countries.
Some of the ways in which the Diaspora
can benefit the home country include,
but are certainly not limited to:
• Enhancing the brand value of the
homeland.
• Converting brain drain into brain
gain and brain circulation.
• Acting as global ‘search networks’
for developing local industry and
assist in the creation of global
knowledge networks to support the
growth of indigenous companies.
• Contributing to the expansion of
global trade with their knowledge of
home country markets,
• Contributing to the economic
progress of the homeland through
financial instruments such as
remittances and Diaspora bonds.
• Increasing the home country’s
impact on the international stage
if members of its Diaspora hold
prominent or influential positions
in international organizations.
How to engage Diaspora?
Realign Remittances:
Promoting remittance flows is usually
one of the first ways to financially
engage Diaspora aiming at increasing
capital flows back into the home
country. The more a country depends
on inflows of funds from remittances,
the more that it will be dependent on
the global economy staying healthy. For
that reason there has been a move to
realign remittances so as to maximize
the development impact of remittance
flows as they have the capacity to be a
transformational asset for the receiving
country.
B

9 | Elaborate
DIASPORA
Issue Diaspora Bonds
A Diaspora bond is a debt instrument
issued by a country to raise financing
from its overseas Diaspora. High
interest rates and premium exchange
rates are given. These schemes are
thought to attract remittances into
formal banking.
Promote Diaspora philanthropy:
Many people in the Diaspora often
first connect with their homeland
through philanthropy. They then
become more engaged by travelling
to the homeland and visiting projects.
This ‘Philanthrotourism’ often leads to
deeper engagement with the homeland
in areas such as trade and investment,
education and culture. Moreover, one
of the main types of change agents
include Diaspora philanthropists whose
philanthropic endeavors result in
societal change for the homeland.
Promote FDI and DDI
Diaspora driven FDI can also be referred
to as DDI (Diaspora Direct Investment)
and its importance and potential for
homeland countries is heightened given
that world FDI flows declined. DDI is
distinct from FDI in that it relies on a
transnational social network made up
of migrants and migrant mechanisms
operating between host and home
countries.
Some Diaspora members are interested
in investing in their homeland because
they expect a financial return; others
are driven by the possibility of social
recognition from within their Diaspora
communities and organizations.
Attract venture capital
Diaspora has an equally significant role
to play in facilitating the flow of venture
capital and investment in domestic
indigenous companies. Moreover, there
is much the Diaspora can do to assist
in the growth of indigenous companies,
beyond the provision of monetary
investment.
Export and Import Education:
Migration is a source of brain gain
and brain circulation that enhances
the intellectual capital of nations. But
aside from all the positive externalities
brought about by scholarly exchange
and professional migration, the
business of international education,
or export education represents a
major opportunity for countries, one
where they can position themselves
as a centre for educational excellence.
Furthermore, the Diaspora can be
used to communicate the homeland’s
high-quality education system which
would greatly enhancing the brand and
reputation.
Organize Visits to homeland
A core element of many diaspora
strategies is to encourage temporary or
permanent returns to the homeland.
This could be done through Tourism,
Conferences, Volunteering.
Diaspora role in Peace Initiative:
Diaspora can encourage dialogue
within itself. It is generally accepted
that Diasporas are not singular,
homogenous groups. As such, there
may be multiple and competing
views on a homeland conflict.
Through dialogue, within and across
the Diaspora, this competition is
transformed to a position of mutual
trust and understanding. A Diaspora
can contribute to this by facilitating
depoliticized discussions and acting as a
mediator of sorts.
Culture, the catalyst to connecting
Culture is one of the main catalysts in
attracting members into the Diaspora
and is the fundamental premise upon
which every dimension of our Diaspora
develops. Culture is intrinsic to the
mobilizing of Diaspora populations
and is the common thread that can
brings groups together from different
countries, or around shared interests,
language, hobbies or regions to organize.
A core element of many
diaspora strategies is to
encourage temporary
or permanent returns
to the homeland. This
could be done through
Tourism, Conferences,
Volunteering.

Elaborate | 10
VIEWS
ohn F Kennedy once
said, “It’s not what your
country can do for you, it’s
what you can do for your
country.” That’s exactly
what we, as Sudanese, should ask
ourselves now more than ever. We’re
at a point where we cannot expect our
country to help us but look at each other
and ourselves for
help – not to benefit
ourselves but our
community.
We, especially
the young and new
generations, lack
patriotism and
nationalism, and look
towards creating a
life anywhere else
except in our own
home, Sudan. Having
lived abroad almost
all my life, I’ve had
the opportunity to
meet people from all
over the world, who
like me, come from
troubled countries
and moved to a better
place in search of a
better life. However,
whether they’re from
the Arab world, Asia or the Americas,
many have the desire to return to their
country and do something to benefit
their country and their people. How
many Sudanese have you met that have
that desire? Not many as far as I am
concerned.
Yes, Sudan is in crisis – politically
and economically – but so are a lot of
other countries in the world – some
are even going through worse. But that
doesn’t mean we should give up and
search for a home somewhere else.
There are so many talented and
educated Sudanese out there who have
accomplished great things but not
for Sudan. They have their reasons of
course. However, we choose to neglect
Sudan and fail to realize that to change
Sudan to the better, we have to do it
ourselves.
Sudan needs entrepreneurs, who
seek not only to make something of
themselves but also have the goal
to socially benefit Sudan. We need
businesses in Sudan that aim to educate
and empower the people of Sudan. For
example, if you’re an educator, open a
center where you can help others make
the right choices in their education and
career. Teach them the basics, like how
to write CV (which many of the youth
in Sudan are incapable of). If you’re
an artist, open an art center together
with other artists and use the power
of art to portray Sudan to the world.
If you’re a filmmaker,
run a film-making
company with other
filmmakers that portray
Sudanese culture and
traditions. If you’re
a musician, make
music with others, like
art, tell the stories of
Sudan in your lyrics.
There are so many
mediums we can use to
empower and educate
Sudanese communities
worldwide. We need
to build a sense
of belonging and
commitment to Sudan
in others and ourselves.
You don’t even
have to return to Sudan
to do this. Do it from
wherever you are but
do it for Sudan. It
could actually be simpler, easier and
more successful. You don’t need to do
it alone. Seek working with relatives
or friends who share similar interests
and goals. Sudan is ours and only we
can promote it. We have to realize
that Sudan is rich in history, heritage,
culture and much more. It has so much
potential to be great so let’s not waste
that greatness.
Let’s do for Sudan what it’s not
doing for itself or us – it may take
decades – but we will see a better Sudan
one day.
Ola is a Sudanese journalist/writer
based in Qatar. You can read more of
her writings on her blog
J
WHAT ONE CAN
DO FOR SUDAN
By: Ola Diab
“Sudan is ours
and only we can
promote it. We
have to realize
that Sudan is
rich in history,
heritage, culture
and much more.
It has so much
potential to be
great so let’s
not waste that
greatness”

Elaborate | 12
SUDAN NEWS
American Companies Express Desire
to Invest in Sudan
Google Launches Free Play
Store Content in Sudan
A high level official has disclosed Sunday
that an agreement was concluded
with American officials for bilateral
cooperation with Sudan through bringing
American companies to Sudan to operate
in the country in the field excluded from
sanctions including health, education,
agriculture and informatics.
The Minister of International
Cooperation, Kamal Hassan Ali, has
stated following his meeting with an
American delegation, including USAID
manager, the American Charge d’affairs
in Khartoum to pushing companies to
operate in Sudan in the different spheres
of cooperation, that he has agreed with
the American delegation on the focuses of
the USAID to work in the fields of relief
in the IDPs regions and the other war
affected regions.
The American search engine, Google
announced that it has expanded access
to free apps on Google Play to users in
Sudan for the first time, allowing more
users to check out what Google Play
has to offer.
The communication was revealed
through a post on Google + on Friday.
“ As part of a commitment to helping
more people around the globe use
technology to communicate, find and
create information, we’re announcing
the availability of free apps and games
on +Google Play in Sudan for the first
time”, said the internet giant Saturday.
However, last February the United
States Office of Foreign Asset Control
(OFAC) announced that is amending
Sudan’s sanctions regime to allow
exports of personal communications
hardware and software including
smart phones and laptops.
Google said that its decision is part
of an effort to bring access to more
Google services on a global scale,
and follows similar rollouts to Cuba,
Myanmar, and Iran last year.
It’s worth noting that Google specified
free apps, meaning there’s no way for
those in Sudan to yet purchase apps
and games.
Khartoum has lobbied Washington
intensively to lift sanctions citing
counter-terrorism cooperation and
facilitating South Sudan referendum
but little progress has been made on
this front. The US announced in 2010
it was easing sanctions on agriculture
equipment and services which allowed
half a dozen companies to obtain
export licenses.
Also, it announced in August 2014
that it has introduced some changes
to a rule issued in 2013 that allowed
Sudanese students and professors to
participate in exchange programs and
receive scholarships.
It said it expanded the definition of
US academic institutions to include
their third-country branch campuses,
adding that authorizations as defined
now include their contractors as
well. On Wednesday, the Sudanese
government has announced that
consultations are under-way to import
farming equipments and remote
sensing technologies from the United
States

13 | Elaborate
SUDANNEWS
Prof. Ghandour to lead Sudan delegation
participating in the Milan International Fair
South Sudan link road upgrade
to boost Turkana oil search
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof.
Ibrahim Ahmed Ghandour, is leading
Sudan delegation participating in the
activities of the International Exhibition
of Milan, Italy. The minister is to open,
accompanying by his Italian counterpart,
the Sudan National Day within the
activities of the exhibition on Monday in
ceremonies including raising of Sudanese
flag and broadcasting of the national
anthem.
The State Minister at the Ministry of Trade,
Al-Sadiq Mohamed Ali said, in a statement
to SUNA, that the Sudanese delegation
included various ministries, institutions
and representatives of the private sector
and businessmen in different fields as
well as cultural and artistic teams, which
are to participate in the celebrations
of the National Day of Sudan through
introduction of arts, culture and heritage
of Sudan expressing its diversity. He added
that, Sudan which classified in 1974 as one
of the three countries eligible to achieve
global food security through availability of
its tremendous and diversified resources
and then called the world’s food basket,
participated in this show with such this
high delegation a matter that reflects the
keenness of Sudan to play its role in the
world in achieving the global food security.
The State Minister at the Ministry of
Commerce explained that his ministry
considered this show as a great opportunity
for Sudan, the public and private sectors
and businessmen to display the Sudan
abundant potentials in various fields, the
vast investment opportunities and the
capabilities of trade exchange with the
countries of the world.
The upgrade of a key link road between
Kenya and South Sudan is set to kick-
off early next year, raising prospects
for enhanced cross-border trade and
ease exploration of petroleum deposits
within the Lake Turkana basin.
Kenya and the World Bank on
Monday signed a Sh50 billion deal for
the rehabilitation of part of the 601
kilometre highway that links Eldoret
to Nakodok on the border with South
Sudan. The 960km Eldoret-Juba road
is presently in a deplorable state, partly
due to high traffic by relief agencies’
heavy commercial vehicles taking
supplies to South Sudan and lack of
regular maintenance.
The new highway will be built to
bitumen standards and a one-stop
border post built at Nadapal besides
other transport amenities. “Producers
of agricultural, livestock, fishery and
mineral products from the region
will benefit from regional and global
export opportunities. It will also
facilitate the extraction of petroleum
recently discovered in Turkana and
neighbouring counties,” World Bank
county director, Diarietou Gaye said.
South Sudan is currently trying to open
up its economy to trade with partners
in eastern Africa in a bid to consolidate
its growth after it successfully seceded
from Sudan in July 2011. Its poor
transportation link to Kenya was among
the weaknesses that a team appointed
by the East Africa Community (EAC)
Council of Ministers fronted last year
to delay Juba’s membership to the
regional bloc. Treasury secretary Henry
Rotich said the project will involve the
rehabilitation of the entire road sections
and laying of a 600 km fibre optic cable
from Eldoret to Nakodok.
“Apart from facilitating connectivity
between Kenya and South Sudan, the
project will facilitate cross-border trade
and reduce transportation costs. It will
also aid emergency relief supplies and
humanitarian effort in the region,” he
said.
The project will be implemented over
six years to 2021 as part of the East
Africa Regional Transport, Trade and
Development Facilitation Project
(EARTTDFP). “Fibre (optics) spurs
and rings will also be constructed and
provision made for connecting refugee
camps, schools, hospitals and other
strategic locations, including pastoralist
road side markets, export processing
zones, rest stops and community
service centres along the route,”
Infrastructure principal secretary John
Mosonik said.
The planned one-stop border post at
Nakodok will supplement the role of the
new highway in boosting regional trade.
The one-border-post concept helps
in harmonising transit clearance
procedures by having officers from
two bordering countries handle transit
documents concurrently, saving on
time. Currently, goods are separately
inspected by officers on either side of
the border, leading to delays

Elaborate | 14
The Mimetic Discourse
in Tayeb Salih’s
Season of Migration to the North
Wisam Khalid Abdul Jabbar | University of Alberta
Cover Story
ayeb Salih’s Season of
Migration to the North
is often regarded to be a
novel about the return
of the native. After
studying in England for seven years, the
unnamed narrator returns to his native
village in Sudan, where he meets and
tells the story of Mustafa. The novel is
about the return to England of a self-
proclaimed native, Mustafa Sa’eed; who
is strangely enough not born in England
and is visiting England for the first time.
Given his English-oriented educational
background, arguing that Mustafa
has highly sought to live in England
and call it home negates the prevalent
perception which positions Mustafa as
the vindictive colonized subject who
travels to England seeking to avenge his
colonized country. Many critics view
Mustafa’s escapades with women in
England, which result in the murder of
Jean Morris, as representations of the
spiteful bent of the colonized subject
against the colonizer: “Reaction to
Season often falls into ... an attempt
to re-establish the dominance of
the emasculated, colonized male by
attacking the women of the colonizers”
(Davidson 388). Like other critics,
Patricia Geesey observes that it is
“difficult not to see in his character a
man who exacts vengeance upon British
colonizers of the Sudan through his
sexual exploits with women in London”.
T

Elaborate | 16
Mike Velez, in his article “On
Borderline Between Shores: Space and
Place in Season of Migration to the
North,” emphasizes the seductive role
played by Mustafa in
London: “In a form of revenge for the
colonial “taking” of his country, Sa’eed
devotes himself to seducing English
women by posing as the fulfillment of
their Orientalist fantasies” . Similarly,
Danielle Tran asserts the notion that
Mustafa launches a “racially centered
sexual crusade against Britain”.
Caminero-Santangelo argues that “While
in England, Mustafa wages a kind of
imperial campaign against British
women by seducing and discarding them.
He sees his sexual conquests as a form of
reverse colonization and as a means of
anticolonial resistance”. In sharp contrast
to the general critical perception, this
paper explores Mustafa’s character not
as a neurotic avenger in the west as it is
generally conceived, but as a colonizer
who seeks to go native, that is in this
case, to become completely westernized.
This self-sought cultural transformation,
to Mustafa, does not happen without a
complete identity shift from the colonized
to the colonizer.
In his description of the “civilising
mission,” Homi K. Bhabha discusses
how colonial authority seeks to have its
colonial subjects duplicate the colonizer’s
manners, language, and mentality.
Ashcroft explains that “colonial
discourse encourages the colonized
subject to ‘mimic’ the colonizer, by
adopting the colonizer’s cultural habits,
assumptions, institutions and values”.
Bhabha defines colonial mimicry as “the
desire for a reformed, recognizable Other,
as a subject of a difference that is almost
the same, but not quite.
Which is to say that the discourse
of mimicry is constructed around an
ambivalence; in order to be effective,
mimicry must continually produce its
slippage, its excess, its difference”. He
identifies a degree of ambivalence that
constitutes this colonial discourse, which
he names “mimicry.” It is the colonial
desire to have the colonized subject only
partially similar to the colonizer: “the
effect of a flawed colonial mimesis, in
which to be Anglicized is emphatically
not to be English”. Bhabha considers this
“flawed mimesis” to be intentional so
that the colonized countries continue to
be in need of the colonizers’ mission of
reforming the Other. In this perspective,
Mustafa attempts to violate or transcend
this colonial code of becoming similar
and yet not quite the same by taking
over the complete identity of the western
colonizer itself. His objective is not, as
often assumed, to violate the west in
Cover Story

17 | Elaborate
some form of retaliation but rather it
is an assertive accentuation, a desire
to become one of them. To Mustafa,
the act of migration is inadequate; it is
synonymous to “flawed mimesis” because
it implies at best a form of incomplete
acceptance for someone who aspires
to seamless assimilation. Migration is
for foreigners and Mustafa believed he
was going home to the country whose
language, culture, and education he has
already mastered.
The notion of mimicry, in terms of
similarities and differences between
west and east, colonizer and colonized,
pervades the novel. At the novel’s
opening, the unnamed narrator tries
to answer so many questions asked
by his inquisitive village people about
the ways of the western world: “They
were surprised when I told them that
Europeans were, with minor differences,
exactly like them, marrying and bringing
up their children in accordance with
principles and traditions, that they had
good morals and were in general good
people ... just like us”. The novel sets
to negate the narrator’s assumption
of people sharing the same human
experience and condition, an affirmation
that the Occident and the Other are
almost the same. The narrator himself
refers to these early days as those of sheer
innocence: “I was happy during those
days, like a child that sees its face in the
mirror for the first time”. The implication
is that there is more than the eye can
see when it comes to east versus west.
The binary opposition, throughout the
novel, is not necessarily asserted but
rather complicated by the introduction
of Mustafa’s character who is neither like
the other nor like the English.
Mimetically, although the character of
the unnamed narrator can be considered
as remarkably similar to Mustafa’s, he
is set to be the foil. The opening of the
novel sets the tone of the return of a true
native who loves his homeland: “The
important thing is that I returned with
a great yearning for my people in that
small village at the bend of the Nile.
For seven years I had longed for them,
had dreamed of them, and it was an
extraordinary moment when I at last
found myself standing among them”.
In effect, from the very beginning, the
narrator is introduced to be like them:
“I feel a sense of stability ... that I am
continuous and integral. No, I am not
a stone thrown into the water but seed
sown in a field”. In contrast, Mustafa
Sa’eed is “a man who kept himself to
himself and about whom not much was
known”. This is a man who, stricken by
the colonial discourse of mimicry as it
translates itself in the emulative learning
and practices, has strenuously striven
to assimilate himself with the villagers
and yet he remains an outsider: “My
grandfather ... was very knowledgeable
about genealogy ... shook his head and
said that he knew nothing about him ...
however, he added ... that Mustafa during
his whole stay in the village had never
done anything which could cause offence,
that he regularly attended the mosque for
Friday prayers, and that he was ‘always
ready to give of his labour and his means
in glad times and sad’. Nevertheless,
the narrator recognizes that Mustafa
fails to be completely like the villagers:
“His excessive politeness was not lost
on me, for the people of our village do
not trouble themselves with expressions
of courtesy”. He even refers to him as a
man “of strange combination”, and, on
another incident, as a man “of a different
clay”. The Sudanese narrator cannot
see Mustafa as one of them, despite
Mustafa’s sincere attempts to assimilate,
which indicates an initial failure on the
mimetic level. Mustafa fails precisely
because he has Anglicized himself to the
point of no return.
Mustafa is the living proof of the
success of the colonial discourse, which
“attempts to domesticate colonized
subjects and abolish their radical
‘otherness’, bringing
them inside Western understanding”
(McLeod 53). Other evidence in the
novel shows that the English seek people
who have this disposition to culturally
transform: “Mark these words of mine,
my son.... Be sure, though, that they
[the English] will direct our affairs from
afar ... because they have left behind
them people who think as they do. They
showed favour to nonentities ... it was
the nobodies who had the best jobs in the
days of the English”. The implication here
is that educating Mustafa is not a random
act but a colonial strategy to breed their
CoverStory

Elaborate | 18
likes. His issuing travels, therefore, are
just a means to an end. To Mustafa, the
destination is more important than the
journey itself.
Travel is a defining factor in
Mustafa’s life. His initial travels are not
a movement away from home but rather
a step closer to it. Drawing on James
Clifford’s conceptualization of travel,
Mustafa’s journey to England is not a
supplement, a portion of a collective
life, but rather the story of homecoming
and eventually that of dwelling. Clifford
conceptualizes travel as “an increasingly
complex range of experiences: practices
of crossing and interaction that
troubled the localism of many common
assumption about culture.... Dwelling
was understood to be the local ground of
collective life, travel a supplement; roots
always precede routes”.
Mustafa’s story juxtaposes the
common assumption about travel as
Mustafa’s journey to England can be
viewed as how routes precede roots. His
journey to England is a route that leads
to his unvisited roots. His departure
from his hometown was emotionless
and significantly detached: “I packed my
belongings in a small suitcase and took
the train. No one waived to me and I
spilled no tears at parting from anyone”.
Similarly, when he left Cairo travelling
to England, Mustafa’s attitude of
rootlessness continues: “However, I was
not sad. My sole concern was to reach
London”. Later, a feeling of familiarity
and identification surfaces as he
approaches England: “I immediately felt
an overwhelming intimacy with the sea
... calling me, calling me”. In this sense,
his unvisited and colonially constructed
roots had initiated his travel routes. In
his discussion with James Clifford about
travels, Bhabha speaks of problems
of “this economy of displacement and
travel.”
He identifies a problem with
travellers who “hold on to certain
symbols of the elsewhere, of travel and
elaborate around it a text which has to
do not with movement and displacement
but with a kind of fetishization of other
cultures, of the elsewhere, or of the image
or figure of travel” (Clifford 42-43). This
sort of fetishization is quite pertinent to
Mustafa’s situation since he recognizes
Cover Story
the possibility of making a fetish of travel
as he associates it with “wanderlust.” The
narrator says that Mustafa advised
him to help his children by sparing
them “the pangs of wanderlust. I would
do nothing of the sort; when they grew
up, if they wanted to travel, they should
be allowed to”. In Mustafa’s case, this
wanderlust becomes unassailable as
his early life seems nothing more than
a preparation to travel to England.
The refrain that permeates the novel is
significant in this context: “And the train
carried me to Victoria Station and the
world of Jean Morris”.
It signifies that Mustafa’s attempt to
find his roots is contingent on his route
to the north. The author of the novel
employs that principle of repetition
by using this refrain in order to assert
the notion that Mustafa is one of
those figures of fixing who, as Bhabha
puts it, “are caught in that margin of
nonmovement within an economy
of movement” (Clifford 43). In this
sense of being trapped in this train
that carried him to the north, Mustafa
becomes another Conrad who desired
Englishness although it entails a sense
of entrapment: “the fixation on certain
symbols of Englishness because he
needed to stay put, there was nowhere
else for him. And paradoxically ...
Conrad’s extraordinary experience of
travel ... finds expression only when it
is limited, tied down to a language, a
place, an audience— however, arbitrary
and violent the process”. Similarly,
Mustafa is tied down to a language that
determines his future dwelling since the
notion of dwelling itself “implies real
communicative competence” (Clifford
22). Likewise Iain Chambers observes
that language is not merely a means of
communication but “a means of cultural
construction in which our very selves and
sense are constituted”. In the repeated
refrain, therefore, the “train” becomes
a metonymy of his homecoming travel
to the “world of Jean Morris,” which
allegorizes Englishness in terms of
language and culture. Wail S. Hassan
asserts that, to Mustafa, the figure of the
English woman evoked a generalizing
effect “because the British Empire
expanded under the rule of a mighty
woman”.
However, I was not sad. My sole
concern was to reach London

19 | Elaborate
CoverStory
Accordingly, Mustafa’s story yields
itself as that of a well-sought crossing to
a country that, by merit of its imported
language, culture, and education,
dramatically constituted his identity
and significantly marked his journey
to be a form of homecoming travel and
not migrancy, which entails “a dwelling
in language, in histories, in identities
that are constantly subject to mutation”
(Chambers 5): the notion that travel in
Mustafa’s life is tied up to fetishization,
language, and eventually homecoming
troubles, as Clifford asserts, the general
assumption about culture and localism.
In this perspective, Mustafa’s early life in
Sudan becomes a supplement whereas
his travel becomes a fixation and a
dwelling.
Mustafa’s constructed character is set
from the beginning to be associated with
the colonizer rather than with his native
soil. His mechanic, uncompassionate
relation to his mother implies a similar
relation to his motherland. In their
Freudian perspective of Mustafa’s
childhood, Tarawneh and John describe
a departure from the child as native
to that associated with a colonizer by
constructing the oedipal complex in
relation to Mrs. Robinson:
Mustafa was born in 1898, the year
in which Kitchener reconquered the
Sudan and subjugated it to British rule.
Consequently, the surrogate mother is
closely associated with the surrogate
culture of the invaders, a culture that
he seeks to revenge himself upon
through sexual conquests. It is this
substitute culture that, like a mother,
adopts him from his early childhood....
It is this surrogate culture that not only
seeks to teach him to say “yes” in its
own language but breeds people who
appoint themselves as substitute “gods”
of the conquered land and its people.
More importantly, it is this culture that
transmits to him the germ of violence and
destructiveness.
However, Mustafa’s acceptance of
Mrs. Robinson as “a surrogate mother,”
with its entire assumed heritage, does
not necessarily trigger retaliation
against the adopted new culture as
critics often assume: “Shaped by this
heritage, his destiny evolves in the
form of a sexual ‘counter-invasion’”
(Tarawneh and John 332). Mustafa
perceives a germ of violence to be part
of the colonial education and identity,
which he practises because he wants
total assimilation with the newly adopted
culture: “I am South that yearns for the
North and the ice”.
Being too Sudanese for the English
and too English for the Sudanese,
Salih’s Mustafa is a man who is caught
between two worlds and yet he pursues
the act of mimicry aiming for a perfect
assimilation. Unlike Joseph Conrad’s
hero’s journey into the unknown in The
Heart of Darkness, Mustafa’s travel
to England is that of homecoming.
However, like Conrad, Salih’s novel is an
unequivocal denunciation of the colonial
legacy in postcolonial countries: “Both
Conrad and Salih expose the perils of
colonialism, but while Conrad reserves
his strongest condemnation for the
greed and theft that attended imperial
expansion, Salih questions the entire
enterprise.
Colonialism is repeatedly described
in language that evokes violent infection”
(Lalami xiii). Unlike Mustafa whose
name pops up every time there is a
conversation about the English, the
narrator professes how detachment
from the English ways has helped
him to preserve his native character
and, therefore, assumingly becomes
immune to the western infection. The
unnamed narrator defines himself in
negation to Mustafa’s too Anglicized
image: “I too had lived with them. But
I had lived with them superficially,
neither loving nor hating them. I used
to treasure within me the image of this
little village, seeing it wherever I went
with the eye of my imagination” . In
sharp contrast, Mustafa had become
more English than the English by being
exposed to the politicized part of their
Englishness, which is often concealed.
One is reminded of S.S. Sisodia’s famous
stuttered squib, one Rushdie’s characters
in The Satanic Verses, saying “the trouble
with the Engenglish is that their hiss hiss
history happened overseas, so they dodo
don’t know what it means” . Mustafa
knows what it means; Salih inscribes it
as an imperialistic predisposition which
tends to be infectious and inherently part
of the constitutional nature of western
identity that Mustafa absorbs in order
to become one of those that Macaulay
describes to be “a class of persons, Indian
in blood and colour, but English in taste,
in opinions, in morals, and in intellect”
(Bhabha 124).
Mustafa makes every effort to
sacrifice everything in favour of
possessing this intellect: “Mrs. Robinson
used to say to me ... ‘Can’t you ever forget
your intellect?’. He has striven to become
like them; accomplishing that end entails
being infected with the germ of violence
as an inherent attribute that constitutes
the colonizer’s identity. Dislocated from
his country of birth, Mustafa’s western
education has fed his newly acquired
identity, which he enacted in England. In
effect, he travels to England to celebrate
what he perceives to be his right to
Englishness and not to take vengeance on
what he himself spent a lifetime trying to
flawlessly emulate.
I too had lived with them. But I had lived with
them superficially, neither loving nor hating
them. I used to treasure within me the image of
this little village, seeing it wherever I went with
the eye of my imagination

Elaborate | 20
Profile
ayeb Saleh was born in
1929 in the Northern
Province of the Sudan
and has spent most of his
life outside the land of his
birth .He attended Quranic school as a
child, and Gordon College in Khartoum
for his secondary school education. He
went first to the University of Khartoum
and coming from a background of
small farmers and religious teachers,
his original intention was to work in
agriculture. However, after a brief
period working as a teacher, he moved
to London. He went to university in
England before working at the BBC as
Head of Drama in the Arabic Service.
He later worked as Director-General
of Information in Qatar in the Arabian
Gulf; with UNESCO on Paris and as
UNESCO’s representative in Qatar.
Culturally, as well as geographically,
Tayeb Saleh lives astride the East and
West. In addition to being well-read in
the literature of the West, his reading
embraces the wide range to be found in
the classical Arabic tradition as well as
the rich literature of Islam and Sufism.
Saleh’s writing, drawn from his
experience of communal village life,
centres on people and their complex
relationships. At various levels and
with varying degrees of psychoanalytic
emphasis, he deals with themes
of reality and illusion, the cultural
dissonance between the West and the
exotic orient, the harmony and conflict
of brotherhood, and the individual’s
responsibility to find a fusion between
his or her contradictions. These motifs
and their contexts derive from both
his Islamic cultural background and
the experience of modern Africa, both
pre- and post-colonial. In his novels,
Al-Rajul al Qubrosi (The Cypriot Man,
1978), Urs al Zayn (The Wedding
of Zein, 1969), Mawsim al-Hijra ila
al-Shamal (Season of Migration to the
North, 1969), and Daumat Wad Hamid
(The Doum Tree of Wad Hamid, 1985),
he constructs an impervious unity of the
social, religious, and political essence of
the African or African Arab. He firmly
holds that a harmony of existence is
possible for individuals in a society of
values and ethics. His books have been
translated into several languages.
His novella The Wedding of Zein
was made into an Arabic Film and won
an award at the Cannes Film Festival in
1976. He has also written many short
stories which are considered among the
best in modern Arabic literature.
In his Season of Migration to
the North, Saleh confronts us, as his
character does, with the clash that
takes shape in one’s mind when torn
between two cultures. He transfers this
turbulent journey to us, hence we are
forced to wonder the actions we would
have taken when faced with them.
Writing is indeed a “tedious business”
as Saleh puts it. Creating his “fictional
worlds” is not easy. There is little
consolation for those who enjoy the
“role of being a writer” believes Saleh.
Ernest Hemingway was a “mediocre
writer”; while Charles Dickens is one
of the “great writers” simply because,
says Saleh, he managed to enjoy writing
and doing other things in life as well.
Becoming involved in the details of
daily living would make a literary talent
come to life, believes Saleh. The “mood
has to take over” so that a writer is
able to create. But Saleh has always
strongly denied that any of his fictional
characters resemble him in reality.
Some critics have drawn this conclusion
based on the fact that Saleh’s main
character in Seasons of Migration to
the North, Mustafa Saeed, lives the
contradictions when one is exposed to
dissimilar cultures. Saleh, a native of
Sudan, lived for a long time in England
as a student. Saeed also comes from
a developing world and migrates to
the developed. But Saleh wards off the
drawing of such similarities. Writing
requires creating a distance between
artistic expression and reality, believes
Saleh. In Seasons of Migration, “the
writing is its own justification” and
the “novel is a world with its own
rationale”, says Saleh. He sternly
believes that since a novel is fictional,
reality therefore should not become
part of it. Ironically, the novel, Seasons
of Migration to the North, was banned
in Saleh’s native Sudan for a few
years despite the fact that it won him
prominence and fame worldwide. The
novel is also listed as required reading
and taught as part of courses at many
universities. The novel’s importance
is drawn from the dilemma its main
character lives through. Eventually,
we as readers live through the same
experience as we come to question the
options that we may have taken if we
were in Saeed’s place. As he leaves his
hometown for a ‘foreign’ country, we
feel alienated, as he does and embark
with him on a soul-searching journey.
Like Saeed, we are alienated and torn
between two worlds, yet being neither
‘here’ nor ‘there’. Saeed no longer
belongs to his society of origin, one
which he differed with in thought and
practice. Yet he does not also belong
to the one he had migrated to for it
has not fully approved him as part of it
hence allowing him to transform and
grow. In both places, he is a stranger.
What novelist Saleh has tried to
describe is the delicate transition that
societies in the developing world went
through as they passed through an era
of colonisation to freedom. This was
an attempt to come into being, which
Saleh has magnificently been able to
describe in Seasons of Migrations to
the North. Here, the migration is the
yearning to ascend into a world that is
free, not only from the colonisers but
from restrictions and limitations posed
by society, and most importantly, by an
individual’s state of mind. And it is this
that had attracted readers to Saleh’s
writings. What bonded them with this
novel is perhaps the fact that many saw
the reflection of their own soul as it
yearned for freedom.
T
Altayeb
Saleh

Elaborate | 22
INFOGRAPHICS
2003 2005 2006 2007
4,000
AU Troops
7,500,000
Darfur
Population
TRIBES IN DARFUR
300
UN Peacekeepers
THE DARFUR STORY
Fur, Masalit, Zaghawa, Bideyat, Tama,
Mima, Berti, Bargo, Kanein, Birgid, Dajo,
Tunjur, Berti, Kuraan, Erenga, Kanein,
Barno, Mararit, Fellata, Jebel, Sambat,
Hadahid, Gimir, Rizzeyqat, Beni Halba,
Ta’aisha, Habbaniya, Ziyaddiya, Fulbe,
Ja’aliyin, Misseriya, Djawama, Beni Helba,
Meidob Habania, Beni Hussein, Ateefat,
Humur, Khuzam, Khawabeer, Beni Jarrar,
Batahin, Mahameed, Ma’aliyah
Rebels took up arms
against government
Chad declares
“state of war”with Sudan
Abuja
Agreement
UNAMID
established

23 | Elaborate
INFOGRAPHICS
2009 2011 2013 2015
300,000 10,000
2,000,000
Displaced People
Estimated
no. of people
killed
UN GoS
70
Operating
NGO’s
Violence broke between
Rizeigat and Maalia
over a land dispute
United Nations
Security Council
unanimously votes to
keep peacekeeping
troops in Sudan›s
Darfur region for at
least one more year
Arrest warrant issued
against Sudanese President
Doha Document
for Peace in Darfur

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25 | Elaborate
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
Elaborate Professor Eltayeb Ali Ahmed Abusin,
Elaborate’s Education Consultant, talks about
the importance of international standards at
local educational institutes. Professor Abusin
strives not just to maintain the highest standards
of education by global standards but also works
hard at localizing the educational experience at
the Academy
International Excellence at Home
Currently lending his academic expertise
as an Education Consultant to a number
of International Academic Institutions,
Professor Eltayeb Ali Ahmed Abusin has
had an enviable and prolific career as an
educationist.
Having graduated from the Khartoum
University Faculty of Arts with a BA in
Arabic Language he went on to secure
his MA and then his PhD – has held
positions in many respected academic
instates.
From 1965 till 1981, he was the executive
director-University of Khartoum,
leading the secretariat of the University
Academic Institutions (Council, Deans,
committee, Administrative committee,
Academic staff, Promotion committee &
executive & finance committee). During
this time, he was also part time Lecturer
of Arabic language at the Faculty Of Arts,
University of Khartoum.
After this, he was appointed as Minister
of Administration and Culture – Sudan
Government, a position he held from
1981 till 1985.
In 1986, he took over as Head of Arabic
Department & Acting Head of School
(King Fahad Academy- London). The
School had successfully taken on board
two curricula (national curriculum
(NC) & the Arabic curriculum (Arabic &
Islamic studies).
From 1989 till 1999, he also played an
effective role in establishing the Oxford
Academy for higher studies and chaired
the Department of Arabic & Islamic
Studies.
His main achievement here was the
assessment and supervision of research
on the masters & PhD Dean of the School
of Research Science, Dubai, UAE and
stayed there will 2005.
From 2005 till 2006, he was cultural
adviser for the Establishment of Bin
Ali Bin Rashid for Publications and
then Dean of Sudan Oxford Academy –
Khartoum Sudan (NC & Arabic & Islamic
Studies Curriculum from 2006 till 2008.
Apart from his above full-time positions,
Professor Abusin also engaged in other
academic pursuits. He took part in setting
the GCSE Islamic Studies Program for
London Board in the early 1990s, author
the Islamic studies curriculum in Arabic
for the School of Research & Science and
for the Sudan Oxford Academy.
He also designed the Arabic Grammar
Program for IGCSE – EDEXCEL and
was Chairman of Arabic IGCSE (First
Language EDEXCEL).
Professor Abusin strives not just to
maintain the highest standards of
education by global standards but also
works hard at localizing the educational
experience at the Academy. One of
his biggest concerns – and ultimately
achievements – is the mixing of a British
curriculum with Arabic and Islamic
studies.
When questioned about whether
he feels that local teachers should
be employed for British curriculum
schools rather than foreigners,
he responded “Trained staff with
experience in delivering the national
curriculums is welcomed regardless of
their nationalities,” says the Professor.
Professor Abusin builds upon his vast
experience of and excellent relations with
international educational organizations
such as EDEXCEL. “
We started with very strong relations
with the British and international
educational organizations,” he reveals.
As an EDEXCEL chairman for Arabic
IGCSE, he used his relations to
strengthen ties with all institutions
that help in promoting the Academic
standards steps are taken now for
the establishment of an EDEXCEL
examination centre in the Academy.
He points out that it is due to this
attention to international standards and
a wellrounded approach that students
at the 11 classes in the Academy enjoy a
unique position.
“Our students are different from other
British schools,” he says , “because our
links with the(Q.C.A) qualifications
and curriculum authority are up to the
standards of the Academic levels that
nominate our institution for joining
the (E.C.I.S) European Council for
international schools as an affifiliate.”
Professor Abusin helped in establishing
the department of Arabic & Islamic
studies in a number of educational
institutions, “this plays a very important
role in the student’s life in terms of
transforming the lessons to behavior and
ethics reflecting Quranic way of life”, he
adds.
“Parents also have a very important
role (in the education process),” adds
Professor Abusin.
Proffesor. Eltayeb Ali Ahmed Abusin

Elaborate | 26
ZWD: 47 years of women support
About Mrs, Zeinab Nour and Dr. Fatima Ahmed
Zeinab for Women Development (ZWD)
is and NGO founded in 2000 focusing on
direct work with grass roots communities
in Sudan with respect to women’s rights.
ZWD aims at promoting and empowering
the socio economic and political status of
women in Sudan with special focus on
the vulnerable ones.
To achieve its aim AWD undertakes
several activities namely:
multidimensions program which is
planned to back women, lobbying and
advocate for their rights , provide logistic
and legal aid for them; conduct women
awareness raising programs , training
of women leaders, establish direct links
with women associations.
ZWD conducts intensive
community activity which targets:
• Combating HIV/AIDS as well as
Female Genital mutilation (FGM),
• Stopping violence against women,
• Advocating women basic human
rights, gender equality.
• Empowering working women with
special focus on farmers
• Training women and helping them
to acquire more skills and raise their
awareness with regards to gender
equality, democracy and their basic
rights.
ZWD plays a pivotal role in the
following sectors:
1. Education: through upgrading
primary education in order to
improve education for girls and
boys especially in rural remote
villages where the need for such
intervention is highly required.
As a positive impact, hundreds of
girls and boys are now having an
improved education environment
with convenient classrooms, toilets
drinking water utilities, communities
in order to maintain newly
constructed and rehabilitated schools,
whereas the Ministry of Education
pledged to provide teachers and
textbooks to new schools.
2. Agriculture and Poverty
Alleviation: ZWD provides women
farmers with agricultural inputs,
improved seeds and hand tools
to increase their productivity and
improve their living conditions and
Back in 1941 a woman named Zenab
Nour who has lived in Gadarif City at
the Eastern part of Sudan, recognized
the problems associated with gender
inequality in Sudan. As an educator
she chose to address this issues
by promoting and facilitating girls
education process and to provide
opportunities for girls education in
Sudan.
To achieve this, Zeinab opened many
basic schools for girls in Eastern Sudan
with a sustained effort for almost 47
years to pave the way for girls education
as a basic pillar to empower women to
gain their rights.For her continuous
efforts and achievements in this field,
Zenab had been selected and listed
among”1000 Peace Women across the
Globe”, in 2005 she was nominated for
the Nobel Prize.
To honor her name and keep the legacy,
the Organization was named after her.
Mrs. Zenab has passed away but her
legacy still lives on, her eldest daughter
Fatima has taken the lead and continues
her mother efforts.
Fatima has received a master degree in
Agricultural science and works full time
for ZWD without as a volunteer. As a
president for ZWD, Fatima petitioned
for and received ECOSOC status with the
UN. Fatima in a restless efforts is seeking
to make heard the voice of the vulnerable
and disadvantageous social groups
specially women in remote rural areas
of Sudan at all internal & international
forums she attended, she managed
a good networking and participatory
approach with concern parties and
stakeholders, she has been awarded the
title of “Ambassador of peace”.
WOMEN
fight food security challenges in the
regions of East Sudan.
3. Health: through holding multiple
awareness raising campaign on
reproductive health, motherhood and
childhood to reduce maternity death
rate, HIV and FGM.
In 2012, ZWD won the prize of the
Islamic Development Bank for Women
Development in addition Mrs. Fatima
Ahmed has been awarded the UNDP
Equator Prize for outstanding local
initiatives that are working to advance
sustainable development solutions for
people, nature and resilient communities.

Elaborate | 28
Sudanese Professionals Abroad
Sudan’s New Generation Aims to Make
Sense of IT Through Active Engagement
at Home
is 6-year old
company GNHSoft
specializes in
Embedded Systems,
system software
and Manageability Solutions. With
presence in the US, India, UAE and
now expansion plans into NorthAfrica,
and worked with customers such
as AMD, Sun Microsystems (now
part of Oracle), Supermicro, Cray
Computers, and Raritan, he’s
clearly a success story. Seeing the
success of his company,Hisham
now has a similar successful Dubai
companyAlmedTechFZE , to provide
value-added IT services. ‘Sudan,
Africa and the region in general
has tremendous potential. With the
rebuilding efforts underway and growth,
there’s a clear need for world-class
technology infrastructure. There’s
a need for thousands of qualified
engineers andpeople with the right
skills. Technical skills are one thing -
they can be acquired through a diploma
or on the job, but more important
are communication, leadership,
management skills,’ he says.
He believes in empowering
entrepreneurs with ‘soft-skills’,
countries such as Sudan which has
a large population, vast pool of
young people will have a bigger edge.
Almedtech has a well-received Creative
Leadership course for precisely this
reason. Built on his own experience
of more than 17-years, and a content
drawn from industry leaders, the course
brings the best of class rooms and
corporate world in an intensive 5-days
distinguished program. The course
is prepared with the belief that good
leaders have always been expected to be
able to solve new problems, capitalize
on new opportunities and navigate
through the ever changing landscape.
‘The leadership attributes – belief,
values, ethics, character, knowledge,
and skills – are all traits which can be
learned. The course provides the basis
for understanding what leadership is
and what leaders do to be successful -
the governments must focus on this,’ he
adds. ‘Empower the people, and they
will empower the economy’.
Please indicate your early
beginnings in the USA?
Right after finishing high school, I was
offered full scholarship to play football
and study in USA. I joined Alabama
A&M University as student and football
player as a result. I was accompanied
with a good friend Hassan Mustafa. We
played for Alabasia club at that time.
We went to A&M for two years and then
HishamKhalafalla, Sudanese native is one such person leading
the way for the next generation of technology entrepreneurs.
Armed with an MBA and Computer Science degrees from
leading American Universities, and with an insight into the
region’s culture, language being a native entrepreneurs such as
Hisham are representing the best of both worlds.
Dotting the I’s and
Crossing the T’s
H

29 | Elaborate
SudaneseProfessionalsAbroad
transferred to University of Alabama
Huntsville where we graduated.
Raised up in the US, How did
it contribute to shaping your
character in the future?
The move to USA has changed my
life and career tremendously. Taking
the opportunity itself was a challenge
in itself. At that time many advised
me to continue my football career in
Sudan and study at a local college.
The move helped me in focusing more
on academics. I had to overcome the
challenge of making it in America as a
person, footballer and young student
with limited financial resources.
Tell us about the first steps in your
professional life?
After I graduated from the University of
Alabama with BSc in Computer Science,
I worked for American Megatrends AMI
in Atlanta Georgia for 11 years. Joining
AMI wasn’t an easy choice. At that time,
we had an opportunity to play for Major
League Soccer MLS. But I continue my
career away from football. My tenure in
corporate America was an enlightening
experience. I had a chance to visit in
almost every continent to do business. I
have lived in Korea, Taiwan for extended
periods deploying new products.
Interesting enough most of this time
was during the boom time and the real
“Globalization”. In 2005 I received
my MBA from Mercer University in
International business. I have taught
international business courses 2008-
2010 at Shorter University in Atlanta
Georgia.
What about your private business?
In May 2006 I started GNHSoft ,
IT consulting firm, in Norcross GA
USA. GNHSoft success came early on
where we provided solutions for many
tier one MN companies such as Sun
Microsystems, Oracle, Advance Micro
Devices AMD to name a few.
My 21 years in USA were challenging
and rewarding enough. Overcoming
challenges away from home, taking
advantage of good education and work
experience led me to continue to believe
that everything is possible. We just need
to work hard and aim high.
And what was your motive/
cause/vision when establishing
Almedtech?
In July 2010, I established AlmedTech
FZE, Dubai based company. One of the
motives for establishing AlmedTech was
personal. I wanted my 2 kids Ahmed
and Aleen to live closer to home. I
wanted them to have a chance to learn
more about our culture and be with
family (with their grandmothers for
example) more. My wife Mysoon shared
the same vision for our Children and
was very supportive.
On the business side, I do see great
potential in MENA region as a whole.
Having presence in Dubai will give us
an opportunity to penetrate into many
untapped markets.
Our vision for AlmedTech is to
make sound contribution. This can
be achieved by not just bring in sound
technology and expertise. This can be
done be enabling people as well. By
giving them the knowledge and tools
they need to be empowered. We support
this model even though it might come
at the expense of our business in cases.
But we need to contribute soundly to
be different. We have a unique model
of engaging our clients in all that we do
“working as one team”. AlmedTech has
delivered on its promises since its start.
We helped companies to deliver their
first HW and SW designs. We helped in
creating a true IT developers movement.
This resulted in empowering many
young engineers.
AlmedTech offerings are unique
and different. They include Embedded
Systems (SW/HW), mobile application
or our Sahil enterprise solutions product
line.
How do you perceive the current
situation of IT in Sudan?
I think Sudan IT has sound potential
and great promise. There are many
opportunities for growth. Officials in
Sudan need to do the following for the
IT industry to flourish and realize its
potential
• Level the playing field by creating
a system that encourages fair
competition and gives private
companies a way in
• Treat IT as an industry. Once it is
treated as an industry, then a new
economy emerges. And thousands
of new jobs would be created. What
is needed here is promote IT as an
industry with full support of R&D
• I do like the idea of promoting Open
Source usages as it is the case today.
But officials shouldn’t associate open
source with free. Open Source doesn’t
mean free IT solutions.
How could Almedtech bring about
change to IT sector in Sudan?
Companies like AlmedTech can
contribute greatly to the IT movement in
Sudan when an opportunity arises. This
contribution can be done by sharing
experience and expertise, enabling
engineers and help with development
process, Quality Assurance and release
procedures
Football Career
Played for Elrabeta Omdurman (third
division at that time); Then Alabasia
Club (first division) for two years.
Played for the youth national team and
represented Sudan in Tunisia 1987.
After that we played for university or
Alabma. I was selected most valuable
player 2 times and select for all start
team twice. I was the assistant football
coach for one year.
Companies like AlmedTech
can contribute greatly to the
IT movement in Sudan when
an opportunity arises. This
contribution can be done by
sharing experience and
expertise, enabling
engineers and help with
development process,
Quality Assurance and
release procedures.

Elaborate | 30
NATION BRANDING
Beyond
Government
Nation Branding: Helping to mend
what Politics has dented
he straightforward
definition of the tem
“brand” is a name, term,
sign, symbol, design, or
any combination of them,
in order to help in identifying the goods
and services of a seller and differentiate
them from those of the competition.
Tactics and techniques used in branding
companies and countries are becoming
increasing similar. Nations like Canada,
Spain, Australia and Finland have all
used corporation techniques in marketing
themselves and their exports in order to
create certain projections of themselves
in the view of others. The application
of branding theories to nations and
countries is gaining popularity within
economies that lack the usual competitive
advantage of good economic performance
in the global market.
This means that countries like United
States of America, China, and Brazil need
not spend a dime, yuan (check for China’s
currency smallest unit), or a (Brazil
currency smallest unit) respectively,
in branding themselves. But the fact
of the matter is that those countries
are amongst the tope spenders when
it comes to nation branding and image
creation. The topic of nation branding
has far exceeded the basic marketing mix
concepts to include identity construction,
image creation, and reputation
management.
T
Identity is ‘self Definition’ generated by countries and it is basically who the country believe they are, while the image involves external stakeholders and how
they perceive the country and what the country believe they perceive it as. Reputation is what those external stakeholders actually think about the country.
Managing these three components effectively will result in a n equally effective management of the brand.
1.Who are we?
3.What do we believe others think about us?
4.What do others actually think about us?
Organisation
Stakeholders2.What we want others to
think about us?
Intended Image
Identity
Construed Image
Reputation

31 | Elaborate
NATIONBRANDING
In the present times, there is an
increasing need for governments to take
charge of the nation branding efforts
in order to attract investors, tourists,
promote its exports and compliment
its diplomacy efforts. This requires
countries to adopt conscious branding
if they are to compete effectively on the
global stage. Within a few years, identity
management will be seen as a perfectly
normal manifestation of ful brand
will be seen as a key national asset.
The unbranded state has a difficult
time attracting economic and political
attention, and that image and reputation
are becoming essential parts of the
state’s strategic equity.
A country that is aiming to build a
brand in order to attract either FDIs or
tourism has to realise that it takes more
than a marketing campaign to do this.
“The nation brand cannot assert itself,
as the tangible sources from which its
value is accrued are not in place. It is not
sufficient for the country to promote its
image enthusiastically to other nations if
the economic basis for the nation brand
is not there” The majority, if not all,
country branding campaigns are led by
government. Some examples of the most
famous campaigns slogans and logos are
South Africa’s “Alive with possibility”,
Spain’s “San Siro”, India’s “Incredible
India”, Thailand’s “Amazing Thailand”,
Malaysia’s “Truly Asia”, Costa Rica’s
“Peaceful Destination”, Iceland’s “Iceland
naturally”, and Egypt’s “Destination
Egypt”
Who Should Build the
Country Brand?
Hello Everyone. Sudan
is a beautiful country.
We believe people think
Sudan is beautiful
War…Political Struggle…
Famine...Poverty... Genocide
US THEM

Fly with SUDAN AIRWAYS
for the best travelling experience
www.sudanair.com

33 | Elaborate
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Elaborate | 34

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37 | Elaborate
NATION BRANDING
NATIONBRANDING
Nation Branding vis-á-vis FDI:
Capturing foreign investment, attracting
tourists, and promoting your exports are
becoming top priorities for the majority
of countries. Governments need to adopt
a strategic framework for promoting itself
in international arena in order to increase
their competitiveness to attract those
scarce resources.
Considering the case of Sudan it is
imperative that the government should
embark on an extensive branding
campaign in order to be able to capitalise
on the opportunities available. in
place aiming at attracting FDI. This
strategy has to be practical, sustainable
and affordable. It is evident that “The
Sudanese Government’s general policy
maintains and constantly declares that
foreign direct investment (FDI) has
a constructive effect on a country’s
economy in terms of added technological,
managerial and financial wealth.”
Active openness to technology, marketing
channels, organizational and managerial
expertise adds to domestic savings,
investment and eventually secures
an effective utilisation of economic
resources. Higher levels of investment
and productivity are key elements
to stirring growth in the Sudan as a
developing country and raise living
standards.”
Despite its vast natural resources and
enormous capacity for investment,
Sudan is not considered as one of the
most favourable destination for foreign
investment. The political and economic
circumstances combined to create an
environment that projects a very negative
image about the country.
When the country fails to provide
investors with enough assurances for
their money, investors tend to steer clear
of having any interaction with the specific
country. When foreign investment
decides to place its money in other
places, the effect on the economy can be
very damaging.
To promote Sudan in light of the present
perception of people about the country
is a challenging task that can only be
achieved through a consistent effort
that aims to induce positive images and
at the same time overturn the negative
ones. Convincing investors that Sudan
has become a good location for their
investment cannot happen overnight. It
was also found that it was not necessary
to completely “cleanse” the reputation
of the country in order to attract foreign
direct investment.
A good example is Lebanon where the
political instability did not discourage
foreign investors. Media needs to
be responsible for carrying out the
promotion campaign but they should
revise the current strategies which lack
the component of addressing negative
images and is only concentrating on
reiterating that Sudan has all the good of
the world. This approach was agreed to
be ineffective and is even damaging when
it comes to credibility.
Active openness to
technology, marketing
channels, organizational
and managerial expertise
adds to domestic
savings, investment
and eventually
secures an effective
utilisation of economic
resources. Higher
levels of investment
and productivity are
key elements to stirring
growth in the Sudan as a
developing country and
raise living standards

Elaborate | 38
NATION BRANDING
Recommendation:where to begin?!
The proposed ACTion* (Assess, Construct,Transpose, induce, overturn
and neutralize) framework is constructed based on the following:
Collaboration is vital for the
success of the Sudan Branding
initiative and a strategic
framework is required to
coordinate this effort
Collaboration amongst government
entities in order to launch and maintain
a strong branding campaign is crucial,
preferably with the involvement of
the private sector as it can finance
the various activities that have to be
completed. It was also interested to see
some media professionals, both from
Sudan and overseas, mentioning that
education and arts institutes which
can have a vital role in supporting the
Branding Sudan initiative.
Sudanese government and local
media should acknowledge more
the importance of the effectiveness
of country branding in attracting
foreign investment
It is undeniable that there is little
awareness about the definition of nation
branding and the impact it can have
on attracting investment to Sudan.
Consequently, minimal efforts are exerted
in promoting the country’s opportunities.
Hence, the government should adopt a
project to promote a better image through
its various media outlets.
Some Practical Tools: Branding
Sudan Framework
The proposed framework for
collaboration is designed to have
stakeholders groups categories along with
the stages of the nation branding initiative
development and assigning each group a
specific set of tasks based on their roles
and responsibilities.
• The Branding Sudan initiative
should involve government,
business, community, media and
education entities. All should
be assigned clear roles and
responsibilities which they carry
out during the three stages of the
initiative.
• Government sector entities with
the most impact on branding
activities should be identified and
assigned roles based on relevance
of task. They are expected to lead
the initial effort while ensuring
that the private sector has a say
in forming the roadmap for the
branding project.
• Branding activities should be
conducted in phases that are not
necessarily linear. Transposing
the country in crisis is a vital
component of the framework and
it requires careful thinking about
activities related to inducing new
positive images, challenging and
correcting bad ones, and engaging
stakeholders to achieve a balanced
view on the country’s image
• Branding a country that is
experiencing crisis needs to include
work on the three components
making the brand: identity, image
and reputation. Each of the three
component must be tackled in
a separate phase and ongoing
interaction should be followed
between the phases afterwards.
• There are three different levels
where the branding activities
should be conducted. Each level
will have a unique approach
and involve specific groups of
stakeholders. These levels are:
a. Local Community
b. Country level
c. International
• It is not necessary to win people over
in order to attract investments. All we
need to do is to make them neutral
and ensure that they do not hold any
negative views on the country.
The proposed framework is based on
the classical RACI matrix, a tool used
to assign roles and responsibilities
in project management. Entities and
stakeholders are assigned the role of
“Responsible” if they are to take the
leading role in executing the work,
“Consulted” if their input is required
for completing the task, “Informed”
if the outcomes and results should
be communicated to them and
“Accountable if they are the decision
makers and hold sole authority in
guiding the task. The framework is
proposing that there should be three
stages for creating and implementing
the branding initiative. Here is a brief
description of each stage:
Assess: Identify the current situation of
how the country is serving the investor’s
needs and who is responsible for delivering
what
Construct: Put in place the basic
components that will enable the effective
delivery of services to investors
Transpose: Manage the process of shifting
the perception of stakeholders from the
current unfavorable to a less hostile one
until reaching a stage where investors, for
example, are comfortable with the idea of
investing in the country. This phase is made
up of three sub phases where the media
would play a vital role in executing it:
Induce: Push positive images and success
stories to the minds of stakeholders
Overturn: Challenge negative stories and
remove doubts from stakeholders minds
Neutralise: Address stakeholders concerns
and engage them in ongoing discussion

39 | Elaborate
Reputation ManagementImageIdentity
TranspositionConstructionAssessmentENTITIES (Stakeholders)
How do we manage the process of shifting
stakeholders' perception to a more positive
one?
What basic
elements should
be put in place
in order to serve
our stakeholders'
needs?
How are we carrying
out our duties at the
moment in relation
to our stakeholders'
wants and needs? NeutraliseOverturnInduce
Collaborative effort to coordinate various
activities here.
ResponsibleResponsibleForeign Affairs
Government
ResponsibleResponsibleInvestment
ResponsibleResponsibleTourism
ResponsibleResponsibleCulture
ResponsibleResponsibleInt. Cooperation
ResponsibleResponsibleForeign Trade
ResponsibleResponsibleInformation & Media
ResponsibleResponsibleInterior
MAIN DRIVER (Accountable)Office of Brand Sudan
ConsultedConsultedConsultedResponsibleConsultedPrivate Sector
ResponsibleResponsibleResponsibleConsultedInformedMedia
ConsultedConsultedConsultedConsultedConsultedArts
ConsultedConsultedConsultedConsultedConsultedEducation Institutes
InformedInformedInformedConsultedConsultedInternational Organisations *
* UN, EU, OAU, Arab
League

Elaborate | 40
Travel
ARCHEOLOGICAL
SITES IN SUDAN
hese resources are
represented in the
Red Sea Coast which
extends for more than
700 kilometers and is
characterized by many tourist attractions,
including diving and under-water
photography, besides boat rowing and
water skiing.
The Red Sea Coast enjoys many gulfs
and coral reefs as the area is free from
contamination which plagues many seas
and tourist areas in the world. Sudan also
enjoys an ancient heritage in the field of
civilizations and antiquities representing
a great attraction for tourists both from
within and outside the country. This
heritage is centred in the Northern areas
including Al-Naga’, Al-Musawarat,
Karima, Al-Berkal, Merwie, Dongola and
others.
These areas and others saw ancient
civilizations proved by the remains of the
pyramids and temples, with a great part
of them still lying unearthed. These areas
attract many experts and researchers in
this field. In addition, they are considered
archaeological sites not experiencing
any toursit leap before, despite the
availability of huge resources in them.
Central areas in Sudan, including Sennar
and Sinja, contain antiquities of Al-Funj
Kingdom (The Black Sultanate). The
antiquities of this area bear testimony
to the long and authentic history of the
kingdom. There are many antiquities
of the Mahdi State in east and west of
Sudan and in the National Capital. These
antiquities which reflect the glory and
history of the Sudanese people, beside
the existence of many other antiquities
in other areas deserve concern to attract
tourists from abroad to get acquainted
with the history of the country at that
time.
In East Sudan, at Sawakin area on
the Red Sea, there are great antiquities
indicating the existence of a historically
great period of Sudan’s history. Sawakin
island, for example, is considered one
of the areas which witnessed urban
development and unique styles of
architecture. It is now regarded as one of
the world’s few areas in this field. There
are many tourists interested in this aspect
of history and who can be attracted to
these sites.
The state also set up Al-Dinder
National Tourist Park for wildlife in
the central state in 1935. This park is
considered one of the greatest game
reserves in Africa. It occupies a unique
position north of the equator on an area
of 2,470 square miles.
In 1990, the Government announced
the establishment of Sanganieb national
marine reserve on an area of about 12
square kilometers as a first Sudanese
sea reserve at the Red Sea area. The
government also set up Arous Tourist
Village at the Red Sea area and villages of
Jemieza in the Equatorial State.
T
Sudan is considered one of the few countries which
enjoy a variety of tourism resources disbursed all
across the country

41 | Elaborate
Travel
Areas of games are represented in
the Red Sea Hills and birds hunting at
Kindy Lake in Darfur state after it had
been protected against poaching. There
are also game areas in South Sudan, Al-
Dari Mountain, Al-Fuweir area, Al-Rugia
Al-Zargha area, Talha Al-Misairi and
Foanghar Mountain in Kordofan State.
Sudan also enjoys many other tourist
attractions such as the archaeological
sites in the northern and eastern states.
Sudan stepped a vague, hostoric
period as a political, local power emerged
at the end of the 9th century B.C. which
was named Kosh Kingdom. This historic
period was divided into two eras: Nabta
Kingdom - Merwie Kingdom. The history
of most archaeological sites found in
Sudan dates back to different periods
including the Pharaohnic period - Karma
- Kosh - Christianity - Islam. The most
important archaeological sites lying
between the North and the South of the
country, are:
Sai
Sai island lies to the south of the second
cataract. It contains many antiquities
including temples, monuments and
cemeteries which almost represent all
the cultural periods of the first stone
age. They also represent the Pharaohnic
period till the advent of the Ottoman
Rule.
Sadinga
It contained some temples which
represent the Pharaohnic period, besides
some other cemeteries concerning Nabta
and Merwie.
Soleb
It contained a temple that dates back
to the Pharaohnic period and other
antiquities of Egyptian and Merwatic
origins.
Tumbus
Egyptian writings have been found in this
area inscribed on rocks lying near the
third cataract and a statue which dates
back to the Merwatic period.
Karma
It is one of the most important
archaeological sites in Sudan. It enjoys
huge buildings made of unbaked bricks
and is known as “Al-Duafoofah”, which
dates back to the 203rd century B.C.
Tabo
This site is found on Argo Island, south of
the Third Cataract and contains a Koshite
temple and antiquities that date back to
the Merwatic and Christian periods.
Kawa
This site has a number of temples of
Egyptian origin as it also represents the
Kush era.
Old Dongola
This is the capital of the lower Christian

Elaborate | 42
INTERVIEW
Jens Petter
Kjemprud
Norway’s Ambassador
to Sudan
How do you assess the readiness
of Sudan to receive Foreign Direct
Investment?
In the build-up to the referendum which took
place on the 9th of January 2011, I think there
was a growing realization that there will be
enormous economic challenges facing Sudan
post secession. To some extent the fact that
CPA said that both Governments, as partners
to the Agreement, should work for unity
during the transitional period made it quite
difficult for the government to focus on the
alternative scenario which was not unity but
the separation of the South. So, in that sense,
the Government started, I believe, preparing
for secession of the South rather late. That’s
why Norway took the initiative in October
2010 to call for the Economic Conference to
be discussed with the Government of Sudan.

43 | Elaborate
INTERVIEW
I believe that the Government has
been very serious in trying to face the
challenges. There are obvious difficulties
for the Government to do that, but I
think they now are focusing on the
issues. I’ve just been to the meeting
of the technical committee preparing
for the Economic Conference and the
government proves to be very serious.
They are moving on a number of areas
to improve the situation for business,
improve the business environment and
improve the investment climate and
engaging broad part of the Sudanese
community for investments. Such
preparations take a while to be fruitful,
but I think there is a strong realization
for the Government at this time.
Everyone could say that more needs to
be done but I think now there is a strong
realisation that something needs to be
done as soon as possible.
Q: What elements need to be in
place in order to attract FDIs?
There are so many things, what has
to be focused on. But Sudan has some
problems with perceptions of the
country. Outside Sudan, in particular
in the Western world, but also in Asian
and Arab world Sudan has challenges
changing perceptions. So, the idea of the
whole conference is for the Government
to present itself in a way which could
help change perceptions of Sudan. So,
that’s one; changing perceptions: using
public diplomacy, using public relations
is very important for the Government
here. Because, yes there are problems in
Sudan but Sudan is such a large country,
there’s so much that’s not obvious
to the eye when you sit in a foreign
country considering investments.
There are a lot of opportunities. I don’t
say that you should forget about the
problems which are there in Southern
Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur, but
still at the same time the Government
should focus on improving the public
relations, the public diplomacy, and seek
opportunities in Sudan.
So, we considered the Conference
to name it Land of Possibilities and
opportunities and so on. Now, it’s
called Sudan International Economic
Conference, I think this is an
opportunity for the Government at one
level. The other level is changing all
impediments to investments to have
one-stop-shop for investments, to have
a new investment law which encourages
investments and makes it easier for
investments and the whole culture of
the business environment. So, there are
other things which need to be done and
I think the investment law is in a draft
form and we believe that the Economic
Conference could help in enhancing
this process internally. And as I said the
Government needs to do a number of
things, of course, related to the overall
macro-economic issues which includes
sanctions against the country which
makes investments more difficult,
it includes the huge debt burden
which is now on a good track, the
Government has done a brilliant job in
debt reconciliation, the interim poverty
reduction strategy paper (PRSP) is about
to be finalized and adopted very soon
which means that the process towards
debt relief arrangements is on track. It’s
really close, hopefully the interim PRSP
would be adopted very soon before the
Economic Conference which means that
this process can proceed.
Q: How can a country like Norway
assist in the process of attracting
investments to Sudan?
Well as you know, Norway is a small
country; but we still have some
companies which are active here
now. But if you look at the totality of
investments in Sudan it is relatively
small. We try to engage companies
in certain sectors like for example
fertilizers which is important for the
long term agricultural development of
the country. We just signed last week
a three year Cooperation Agreement
with the Ministry of Petroleum on
strengthening the capacity of the
Sudanese government in the oil sector
including an increased oil recovery
programme. Today Sudan extracts 23%
off the ground, in Norway we extract
more than 50% off the ground. The
potential here is to double to 46-47%
what is taken out of the ground. So,
on the business side few Norwegian
companies are active apart from paint
producers Jotun, verification and
quality control firm Det norske Veritas,
shipping lines in Port Sudan and
Norwegian consultancy firms. However,
what we believe is rather supporting and
working with Sudanese Government
to enhance its performance and on the
Economic Conference to help attracting
business from around the world.
Q: Your Excellency what’s the role
Norway can play in developing the
Human Resources in Sudan taking
into account its impressive record
in this field?
Of course it’s up to the Government to
request assistance from Norway but as
I said we’ve signed an Agreement last
week with the Ministry of Petroleum
for a three year Program which could
be extended further for building the
capacity of the Ministry of Petroleum.
That is one area where we believe we
have comparative advantage being an
oil nation for quite a while including
good governance of the sector. We also
had a delegation a couple of weeks
ago from the fisheries sector where
our Maritime Research Institute of
Bergen will conduct a survey and
mapping of the fishery resources in
Sudan in cooperation with the Sudanese
Government and the UNIDO, which has
the potential of increasing production
from the fisheries sector ten-fold.
This has the potential for increased
food security, reduced import bill and
increased exports. We have a very long
coast in Norway and a big fisheries
sector which comes in 2nd place in
exports from Norway, after oil and gas.
So, we also believe we have comparative
advantage in that sector. So, those two
sectors are the most important and
we believe both do support economic
development; because without economic
development you can’t support the vital
social sectors in Sudan.
Q: What do you think Sudan could
do to attract investors during the
Istanbul Conference?
The program now being planned for
Turkey includes a full day for a business
conference which will be in parallel with
the senior official and the Ministerial
Conference. In this conference, Sudan
has a great opportunity to be active and
attract investment to the country. The
level of participation and the number of
participants is one success criteria, and
it’s up to the Government to follow up
on the success made at the Conference.
Good presentations are being made by
the Higher Council for Investments and
Ministry of Finance and different line
ministries for investments in different
sectors. So, now the government is
fighting against time to get as many
investors and businessmen to attend.
The potential here is to double to 46-47% what is taken out of the
ground. So, on the business side few Norwegian companies are
active apart from paint producers Jotun, verification and quality
control firm Det norske Veritas, shipping lines in Port Sudan and
Norwegian consultancy firms.

Elaborate | 44
MEDIA
To print or
not to
print!
Print Journalism, dying or
evolving in Sudan?

Elaborate_September Issue

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