| | The tremendous campaign of propaganda of the mid-70s accompanying what seemed to be a real solution to the problems of the ailing Sudanese economy has faded away. The Sudanese regime has abandoned its ambitious dream of turning Sudan into a breadbasket of the Third World (or more modestly, the Middle East!) through an anticipated 'happy marriage' of Arab capital and untapped domestic agricultural resources. By the end of 1981 President Nimeiri had declared new austerity measures, admitting in a nation-wide speech that during his rule, agricultural production and services had suffered rapid deterioration, manufacturing production had been levelled down by foreign currency constraints, imports had reached a level more than twice the country's capacity to export and an unprecedented immigration of skilled and semi-skilled workers and professionals to neighbouring Arab states had occurred. Thus, the mid-70s dreams have proved to be grossly unfounded. All indicators of the late 70s pointed towards a crisis of unprecedented intensity and dimensions. |
