Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Sudan, Foreign Policy (cont-3)

Sudan has had a troubled relationship with many of its neighbours and much of the international community due to its aggressively Islamic stance. For much of the 1990s , Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia formed an adhoc alliance called the "front line states"with support for the United States to Check the influence of the national islamic Front Govt. The sudanese govt. supported anti-Ugandarebel groups such as the Lord's resistance Army. Beginning from the mid-1990s Sudan gradually began to moderate its position as a result of increased US presure following 1998 US embassy bombings and the new development of oilfields previously in rebel hands . Sudan also had a territorial dispute with Egypt over the Hala'ib Triangle. Since 2003, the foreign relation of Sudan have centered on the support for ending the second Sudanese Civil Warand condemnation of Govt.support for militiasin the darfur conflict.The United States has listed Sudan as as a state sponsor terrorism snce 1993.US farms have been barred from doing business in Sudan since 1997. In 1998, the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum was destroyed by US cruise missile strike because of its alleged production of chemical weapons and links to al-Qaeda. Sudan has extensive economic relations with China. China gets 1/10 of its oil from Sudan, and according to formal Sudanese Govt. minister China is a Sudan's largest supplies of arms.
On Dec 27 , 2005, Chad, Sudan;sneighbour , was involved in war , beeing the "common enemy of the nation" . On may, 2008, Sudan announced that it was cutting diplomatic relation with Chad.