By Habib Mohammed
Egypt’s occupation to Sudan had lasted for about 100 years. Beginning from the early 19th Century, Egypt had occupied Sudan following the Nile river route up to the southern tip of the country. It also occupied the capital Khartoum. The conquest was led by Mohammed Ali’s third son Ismail Kamil Pasha. Ismail’s force use explosives to blow open a navigable water way to pass though his ships and declared their control of Sudan from (1920-1924).
While many African countries have been cooperating to free themselves from colonial rule, Egypt restored its rule to Sudan as part of a condominium, or joint rule with Britain. Sudan, under the Anglo- Egyptian rule, (1899-1955) suffered a lot because of Egypt’s role of allying with colonial powers. During the Anglo-Egyptian occupation, Egypt had caused all sources of harm to its neighbor Sudan for over half a century. The Sudanese had lost every of their identity, treasures and material and spiritual wealth. They have been abandoned to their sense of nationalism and succumbed on their own land. Even after Sudan got its independence Egypt has never been showed up respect to Sudan with its continued provocative act in its northern border to destabilize the country. In addition, Egypt’s common strategy was setting up different coup attempts, in order to dismantle Sudan’s internal stability and its government by supporting different militant groups within the country.
Egypt was not a good neighbor of Sudan rather an enemy.
The two countries shared border lands starching up1200 Km, and 2.5 million people live in the area. Since the1956 until now, part of the Sudanese territory called “Haliyab”,which is highly rich in mineral resources had remained under Egypt’s control. The region is considered to have 700 tons of magnesium resource. It is also rich in gas and oil resources. Even though, Sudan has never been stopped trying to re-take Haliyab from Egypt using military and diplomacy efforts, the area is still under the control of Egyptian forces.
Ever since, Egypt’s historical influence and control of the region in defying Sudan’s sovereignty, the two countries were seen each other as enemies rather than good neighbors. By the decision of Egyptian government, the two countries boarder had been closed and no trade activities was taken place. Such situation particularly affected the “Nubian” tribes living along the border of the two countries, though they share the same language, religion and race. The Nubians in Egypt also faced marginalization because of their blacks kin color and are not treated equal citizens of Egypt.
Egypt always calculate its development plan at the expense of the Sudan
Egyptian leaders thinks, Sudan must lose something for Egypt to benefit. They need to put Sudan in conflict to pacify their country. Such type of relationship they want to establish with their neighbor Sudan is back routed to former leaders of Egypt. For example, When Egypt built the “Aswan” dam near the Sudan boarder, in1960, they were calculating that the reserve wire of lake “Nasir” to be laying on the Sudan’s territory. With such plan more than two hundred thousands of inhabitants were displaced and made to settle on desert leaving their fertile land.
Egypt’s contributions for the creation of South Sudan was immense
Egypt do not benefit from strong Sudan. Deferent leaders of Egypt has been working to split Sudan in to different countries over time. And such historical legacy of Egyptian governments has evolved up to the current Abdulfetah Al sis’s regime. The secret plan of Egypt in Sudan is changing the country in to different smaller countries. And they execute such plan in two ways. Firstly they use internal approach. They support different militant groups in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states through supplying military equipment’s, providing military training as well as giving diplomatic protection to such groups. Secondly, it uses external approach. One show case for such approach is Egypt’s ongoing effort of pulling Sudan in to war with neighboring Ethiopia. It is adamant that Egypt considered Ethiopia as its enemy because of its GERD project over the Blue Nile River.
Therefore, Cairo has strong interest to drag the current border dispute between Ethiopia and Sudan in to an escalated tension and it is putting its strategy in to action. However, border dispute between Ethiopia and Sudan has been common for hundred years now. Sometimes, minor exchange of fires between local security forces from both sides were noticeable. But there is no reason to change such dispute in to formal war. So, the question is, why it is needed to be an overriding phenomenon at this particular time? The answer is, because Sudan is currently under the rule of Egypt’s invisible hand. Sudanese transitional military council led by Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan has promised to maintain the interest of Egypt and support were provided him accordingly mainly from Egypt and also from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. As a result, Sudan started to maintain the interest of Egypt through igniting conflict in its border with Ethiopia to keep its promise. But Egypt is using Sudan as a deriving agent to fulfill its interest of solely benefiting from the Nile waters.
Sudan under modern colonial rule by Egypt
By receiving order form Egypt the country deployed 10,000 troops to fight in Yemen. Sudan is also paying role given by Egypt by escalating tensions along its broader with Ethiopia. Inflicting Ethiopia, ceasing its internal political situation as an opportunity is what both Egypt and Sudan is counting for, but the reality on the ground is different. Such salivation of Egypt in not new one, rather temporarily aggravates by analyzing political transition of both Sudan and Ethiopia.
The general picture here is that, Egypt is striving to destabilize the region by putting both Sudan and Ethiopia in conflict to satisfy its own interest on the Nile waters. So, Egypt is exerting action to change the status quo of good neighbors Sudan and Ethiopia to enmity.
What Sudan should really understand at this time?
Ethiopia is a true neighbor of Sudan. The two countries has long standing people to people relation. Ethiopia was agent for Sudan to print its own money. Ethiopia has always been there to pacify Sudan when it was in conflict by involving in various peace keeping operations in Sudan.
Sudan must act as a sovereign independent country able to maintain its own interest not working for third country, cognizant to the consequence which will by large involve itself.
Egypt had never been a true friend of Sudan in history
Assessing the Achievements and Prospects of China-Africa Cooperation Towards Enhancing the Strategic Partnership
By Ali Issa
Current achievements in China-Africa Cooperation
Since the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was established 20 years ago, and the more recent initiation of the Belt and Road Forum for international cooperation, China has become Africa’s biggest economic partner. Across trade, investment and infrastructure financing, there is no other country with such depth and breadth of engagement in Africa. The multifaceted development cooperation has boosted trade and investment between the partners. In this context, China’s Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi underscored, (on 12 November,2020) at the occasion of the 2oth anniversary of FOCAC, that “trade between China and Africa hit US$208.9 billion in 2019, and total Chinese FDI in Africa reached US$49.1 billion, grown by 20 fold and 100 fold respectively, compared with 20 years ago”. Also, more than $200 billion has been generated in Chinese financial support for development projects in Africa as of end 2019.
Over the two decades since FOCAC, the massive economic and financial cooperation has generated large investments in economic infrastructure, in the form of construction of roads, railways, ports and power plants, which have made considerable difference in the economic and social development of countries in Africa. The post FOCAC collaboration between the partners also impacted well on the social developments of many countries, especially in the health and education sectors.
China’s expanding investments were supported by the Forum through promoting infrastructure development, encouraging Chinese enterprises to invest, and facilitating the development of SMEs in Africa. The inflows of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), both from government and private enterprises, facilitated and under FOCAC and Chinese finance enhanced the inclusive development potential of many African countries.
China has already become a big source of finance of Africa’s development endeavors. In September 2018, at the 7th FOCAC Summit, US$60 billion was pledged in financing for Africa, which included $15 billion in grants, interest-free and concessional loans; $20 billion in credit lines; a $10 billion special fund for development finance; a $5 billion fund for financing imports from Africa; and incentives to Chinese companies to invest at least $10 billion over three years. Most of the investments under the forum were allocated to projects: in roads and railways, power generation and distribution, and building economic zones and industrial parks that promoted opportunities for jobs and economic growth. The beneficiary countries utilized the Chinese investments as a means to foster and enhance inclusive growth and poverty reduction, for opening their economies to international markets, and attaining sustainable transformation.
Undoubtedly, Chinese investments and external financing have been indispensable part of sustained economic growth achieved in the beneficiary countries in the past 2 decades. Such investments have contributed to providing world class economic infrastructure, injected much needed capital, introduced new technologies and modern management know-how, and strengthened management of projects implementation in these economies.
The countries that have benefited from the Chinese investments have been those that succeeded in synchronizing their own national strategies with Chinese investments and external financing, so as to address the principal binding constraints on their national economies. The productivity gains and spill-over positive effects of these investments have permitted these countries to leverage the contributions made by the Chinese FDI and external financing.
The views of African policy makers and academics demonstrate that countries benefited significantly from the Chinese investment inflows during the 2 decades of the FOCAC. Accordingly, China’s economic and foreign relations approach is generally perceived positively in African countries. Most observers emphasize China’s diplomacy of non-interference, mutual respect and friendship with Africa, as being fully appreciated by key decision makers.
The current achievements are broad based but tell only part of the story, as the China-Africa cooperation extends to other key sectors, as declared at the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit to build a stronger community with a shared future. The deepening relationship thus covers beyond the economic cooperation, and extends to critical social sectors as demonstrated by the efforts to provide support for health and educational institutions and governance in African countries; and for peace and security missions in some states.
More specifically, there is much to commend the Chinese authorities’ efforts to assist African countries under the difficult circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. The global health and economic impact of this pandemic is creating huge economic and social challenges globally. China’s efforts to support African countries in surmounting these challenges and achieving post-pandemic recovery is vital to ensuring that economic achievements in recent years are sustained, and poverty reduction in recent decades is not reversed.
At such critical moment in the global fight against Covid-19 pandemic, commitments made at the extraordinary China-Africa virtual Summit on solidarity against Covid-19 (on 17 June 2020) promised to build a China- Africa community of health for all. These commitments made at the Summit in the words of President Xi Jinping included: “to mobilize necessary resources, stick together in collaboration, and do whatever it takes to protect people’s lives and health and minimize the fall out of Covid-19;” as well as a pledge “that once the development and deployment of Covid -19 vaccine is completed in China, African countries will be among the first to benefit”.
The gains achieved under the FOCAC and BRI cooperation have evidently built a shared community and substantial collaboration in the socio-economic fields. The remaining issues are how to strengthen cooperation within FOCAC and BRI on issues that are of high priority need and that improve people’s livelihoods and their wellbeing.
Towards enhancing the strategic partnership
The recent primary focus on trade, investment and finance of the China Africa relationship merits further examination and assessment; so as to increase and expand the core priorities fields, beyond the successes achieved in the economic and finance cooperation in the last 20 years. There are core areas of vital importance for the transformation of Africa that should be covered urgently, including (i) poverty reduction in fragile economies through learning from China’s successes; (ii) expanding efforts to develop Africa’s industrialization through accelerated technology transfers; (iii) avoiding the risks of accumulating unsustainable external debts; and (iv) addressing the impact of adverse climate change that is an existential threat to some African countries.
There are concerns that the investment and financial resources from China while key for some African countries growth and transformation, could aggravate the income inequalities within the continent and individual countries. First the top African recipients of Chinese finance and investments are relatively the more developed countries and/or those that have proven natural resources, such as minerals or hydrocarbons in abundance. Second, within individual countries, the projects that benefit from the Chinese financial and investment access are centered in few urban centers within high income countries.
The widening income inequality is contrary to the “Development Model of China”, which targeted and achieved phenomenal poverty reduction in the country in a few decades. The achievements of China’s transformation to eliminate poverty of 700 million of its population, both urban and rural, in a few decades is much desired and aspired to by Africans.
Certain challenges faced in some African countries, including endemic instability, insecurity, and poor governance lead to limited access to foreign direct investment and financial flows. In such countries, evidence of fragility and ineffective institutional governance clearly are contributing factors to insufficient access to China’s support, and thus different modalities of engagement (e.g. highly concessional credits and grants) should be explored.
Policy makers and academics have argued that successes of considerable home grown technological progress in China in the last 3-4 decades will permit African countries to tap into this know-how in a quick manner. The over whelming evidence, however, is that most of the skilled labor and advanced technology that built the base of China’s global success has yet to impact on Africa. It needs to be underlined that host countries capture technology transfers associated with FDI only when they achieve a certain threshold in terms of skills, technological capabilities, and viable industrial development. Accordingly, emphasis should be laid to support competitive industrialization in Africa on the basis of the Continent’s Free trade agreement, which is under implementation.
Some African countries have accumulated unsustainable levels of foreign public debts, raising the question of what sacrifices they may have to make to repay these loans. China has shown willingness to reschedule debts owed by several African countries in recent years; to cancel or suspend debt service obligations for African countries that are hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic and are under heavy financial stress; and to participate in the G20’s debt service suspension initiative for countries facing debt distress.
In any event, it is the responsibility of borrowing governments to ensure that the terms and conditions of the loans and credits negotiated are affordable and are used for productive investments. Moreover, the acquired foreign financing ought to generate additional productive capacity, and add to foreign exchange earnings to meet debt service payments. Both the lending and borrowing countries should maintain caution, and ensure debt obligations would not lead to default and debt crisis; as they would both share the blame if “expenditures on vanity projects” lead a country to early debt distress. Responsible policy makers in African countries should be wary and vigilant that access to funding and its terms and conditions ought to be based on capacity of a country to maintain debt sustainability in the long term.
Many African countries are suffering from perennial drought and chronic food insecurity. The prevalence of undernourishment in such countries is more pronounced than anywhere in the world. Vulnerability to food insecurity is not only high but is becoming structural with most of the poor concentrated in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Drought is one of the most pervasive climate events and has significant impact across the food value chain.
The affected countries lack the institutional capacity and advanced operational systems to effectively respond to the magnitude of climate change risks. This calls for establishment of an integrated response for resilience building to boost overall risk-management capacity, and deliver means of addressing climate crisis effects. In view of China’s success in building models of food security and addressing adverse climate impact on agricultural productivity; ways and means of collaborating in this critical area for human resilience should be set as a priority in extending the achievements.
The Chinese leadership has declared readiness to work with Africa countries on a framework of strategic cooperation on climate change to jointly tackle this challenge; as well as willingness to explore broader cooperation in new business forms as clean energy and advanced communications.
Over the past 2o years, FOCAC has considerably enhanced the cooperation and friendship of China and Africa, and the Belt and Road Initiative could further strengthen the relationships built over the period. Substantial mutual gains have been registered in the economic front as demonstrated by the current magnitudes of trade, investments and financial resource inflows from China, which have substantially transformed economic infrastructure.
The Effective cooperation has also been extended to social areas, particularly in building educational and health institutions capacities, and strengthening knowledge base across multiple productive sectors to assist in health and economic recovery. The cooperation in the preparedness for and mitigation of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has strengthened Chinese and African solidarity thus far. However, comprehensive assistance to Africa to address the pandemic is critical in meeting the challenges of the unfinished recovery from on-going health and economic crisis.
The broad China-Africa relations under the FOCAC and BRI have been immensely effective in the core areas of engagement; notably in the development of trade facilitation, investment promotion and access to finance. These current effective practices should be further strengthened and deepened, and the China and Africa strategic relations should be enhanced in fields that are vital for improving people’s lives and promoting sustainable development.
Ali Issa (PhD) is Managing Director of Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute
The Issa marriage procedure in the Somali culture
By Faysal Assowe
To write on certain community culture, one much shed a light on essence of the culture. First of all, what is culture? Culture is the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded as collectively >reflected understanding or appreciated of Custom, institutions and achievements of particular nations, people or group. Based on the above definition, the Somali community have had effectively established interesting arts and other attractive manifestations that accomplished worldwide appreciations.
As most of the World knows, the Somali community has effectively established long standing custom that without official research method one cannot be able to writer or fully address under this simple writing. As you know, culture has come in to existence through long standing repeated practice of a certain given community. Hence, there are many beautiful arts institutions that have been developing time and again. Among them the most notable attractive Somali Cultures are the effectively established clan system of the Society. This is the most interesting that has been beautifully institutionalized sort of institution. Currently, the institution severs its darkest side of the coin. I mean the present sectarian conflict, and different country wide war, is being manifested in relation to the institution of the clan. This not the original connotation and the messages it conveys. I mean, it is not natural future of the said institution rather it is an artificial one. A one made by men’s malicious conducts of those who are Jules of the beautiful side of the conducts.
When i come to the beautiful side of the coin of clan institution clan one can discuses many aspect of this institution such as the labour division: both in farming and animal husbandry in relation to the economic activities, the marriage and divorce rules and procedures both inter clan and intra clan relation, their unwritten laws of both in the area of economic activities during the time of war between them: the strong social system between both death and any other social activates in general are among the others Therefore, all of the above arguments are from general to the specific to show the umbrella under which the specific culture under go. To discuses one of the rules and procedure that developed under Somali culture, I would like choose the Issa Marriage system that is undergone in the Somali Culture.
My choice to this golden chance is, ″The Issa Marriage system.” Even if the current global fast of urbanization and recent internet development brought overall disturbance to the strict realization of intentionally and purposely developed tithe rule of marriage, it also still manifests substantial portions of good quality for the community that flow it. So, I would like to bisect the complete process of Issa marriage system into proud categories; the pre marriage conclusion time technically called ″Donanaasho” and post marriage conclusion technically called ″Guur.”
Donanaasho: is A Somali word, that refers to the mutual individualization and exclusion of all others individuals who, characterise themselves in the age of that stage. This means it’s in this stage that the couple choose each other. The young female has identified her future husband, from the time where the contract Donanaasho is concluded. Moreover, her approval of the acts is something of vital importance for the male. If she is very happy the contract of Donanaasho, then the next stage act will be the contribution of the wealth of the future spouses, which will be gathered in the account of the female’s family. The principal contributor is his Father and Mother. Sometimes mother’s clan also contribute in the form of donation. Then start the flow of camels, cows’ goats and sheep from the family future bridegroom to the family of the prospective wife. This act of economic gather will continue at list one to three years depending on the economic strength of male side. Moreover, the act of gathering must fulfil what they call {20 cads}. The importance of this cad is to pave way for the strength of the future family. Once this collection of economy is completed the next step will be the conclusion of the marriage.
The next stage is the marriage stage. This sort of level is the most tithe rules of marriage in the Somali culture that exists and the nikaah day is one of the most important events for them. A home is built for them at a distance with the village of the clan of the female’s family. The act of building their home in a distance place is purposeful because, both of the couple are experiencing sex for the first time. Therefore, the family does not like to be an obstacle to couple’s enjoyment.
Somalia’s miscalculation A reading for the Sudan
By The Queen of Sheba
It is with deep regret-and wrath-that we are witnessing the invasion of Ethiopian territories by curiously aggressive Sudanese army at a time when Ethiopia has been preoccupied in a major endeavor to bring the rebellious TPLF cabal to justice-an effort hailed by many, including the African Union Commission.
The Sudanese army, in an unprecedented escalation, not exhibited hitherto, heavily bombarded Ethiopian territory, killed and chased its farmers, burned and looted properties, pushed deep into the country, as far as 40 kms in some areas.
To add an insult to the injury, when the Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen met its Sudanese counterparts in Khartoum in a peace mission, it was reported that the Sudanese counterparts told him that they have neither the interest to leave the occupied territories nor the wish to pursue negotiations.
Alas, some elements of the multi-headed hydra of the Sudanese dark forces appear to have gained a high-ground to declare war on Ethiopia.
Somalia’s Miscalculations: A Reading for the Sudan
In the late 1970s, Somalia’s former President Siad Barre viciously attacked and invaded Ethiopia-when the country was at one of its weakest points in its history pulled apart by internal political players as well as destabilizing external forces. The Barre regime invaded a large swathe of the Ethiopian territory with an incursion of some 700 kms.
Ethiopia had to recruit, train and mobilize some 300,000 forces in just a few months to defend its territory. Barre’s army faced the Ethiopian forces, which were augmented by heightened international solidarity at the time, but routed with a lightning speed. The major enablers and supporters of the Barre regime-including the Arab Republic of Egypt, externally, and the rebellious TPLF cabal forces at the time, internally-could not save it from the humiliating defeat.
Both Somalia and Ethiopia paid incalculable human and material price. As it happens, the massive defeat of Barre’s army ultimately triggered the total collapse of Somalia as a nation.
Sudanese Army: Diverting Attention?
Currently, the Sudan finds itself at a crossroads and this is not lost to the Ethiopian leadership and its people. In fact, Ethiopia has played a vital role in mediating the two warring-civilian and military-forces in the Sudan, rescuing the country from imminent abyss. The large majority of the Sudanese people are aware of it.
However, the power sharing arrangement between the military and the civilian leadership has not be optimal, if not openly tense. The recent public protest in Khartoum has proven that the tension is far from over.
Some allege that the current invasion of the Ethiopian territory was hatched by some elements in the Sudanese army to raise its flagging public support and also deflect public opinion. Some also account the current border aggression to the strong bond, sealed with extensive, but dubious, business transactions, between some elements of the Sudanese army and the now defunct elements of the TPLF cabal.
The Arab Republic: Hand back the Halayeb Lands
According to a news report, as recent as 2018, the Sudan raised complaints at the United Nations demanding the Arab Republic to hand over its territories in the region largely known as the “Halayeb Triangle”. The report further noted
Relations between Egypt and Sudan have been soured in recent months by disputes over the ownership of the triangle, and over the broader issue of use of water from the River Nile that passes through their territories.
The report further stated that
Egypt rejected in 2016 a request from Khartoum to enter negotiations to determine sovereignty over the triangle or to seek international arbitration.
I have already attempted to lay bare the Arab Republic’s deceptive bluster in an earlier piece entitled “Ethio-Sudanese Border Fracas: The Egyptian Croc Tears” and will thus be rather brief here.
In another recent report, which quoted the military expert and adviser at the Nasser High Military Academy of the Arab Republic “the Egyptian condemnation of the Ethiopian attack on Sudanese troops was not related to the current deadlock in the Nile dam talks…. Sudan constitutes a strategic depth to Egypt and any attack on Sudan poses a threat to Egypt’s national security… It is natural for Egypt to back Sudan’s right to defend its territory against any assault given the deeply rooted relations between the two countries.”
A nation which has forcibly appropriated the Sudanese lands, now publicly, but shamelessly, sheds crocodile tears on the Ethio-Sudanese border skirmishes. It is evident that the Arab Republic is drooling on its mouth on the possibilities of a full-scale war between the two brotherly neighbors which most certainly would leave them both weak, fragile and drained-the Arab Republic’s central interest.
Triggering a proxy war between that two nations is way too evident a sabotage to delay the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Regardless, no earthly force would stop the inevitable of completing the dam.
Clearly, the Arab Republic has a diminished view of the intelligence of the Sudanese people.
In Conclusion
There is a gaping hole in understanding the history and psyche of Ethiopians in defending themselves, their borders-and their country. It appears that that lesson continues to be unheeded by colonists in the West and expansionist despots in the neighborhood. There is a manifest confusion and deep misconception between internal discord among Ethiopians and external threat on their sovereignty.
It would be pretty foolish for the Sudanese army to contemplate the permanent occupation of Ethiopian territories by force and remain unchallenged with all conceivable powers-diplomatic or military. It would be a grave miscalculation on the part of the Sudan to escalate the situation on the account of military and logistical support of one of the most deceptive and ungrateful neighbors in the world.
It makes the aggressive Sudanese incursion into Ethiopian territories all the more reprehensible if its army erroneously intends to bank on imagined current limitations of the Ethiopian armed forces and the nation.
Ethiopians are peculiarly endowed with an innate resolve to self-defense-and sheer resilience. It is an enduring lesson for friends-and foes alike.
The Queen of Sheba may be reached at QueenOfSheba2020@outlook.com
