Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-15

OTQeTeQ NOrCn, q muLlny broke
out which was at first brutality
suppressed. TIL Gus a n d S of
tribesmen fled across the Dor
der into Uganda, Kenya and
the Belgian Congo. Eventu-
ally. Premier ISmail ell Azhari
adopted more moderate meth
DDS and the rebellion ended.
Nevertheless, Southerners re-
gard Northerners as just an
other set of colonial admins
traitors and clamor for a semi
autonomous. federal status.
New Era Begins
January l marked the end
Of Sc years Of British-Egyp-
tan rule. The two powers had
agreed in 1853 that the Sudan
should take steps toward self
determination and decide
after a three-year transition
period between a link with
Egypt or absolute independ-
ence.
Hoping for one mile state"
Egypt poured money and prop
uganda into her southern
neighbor. But on December
9, 1855, in surprise move, the
Sudanese parliament voted for
independence.
The new country has politi-
cal parties and a parliament,
1t is going to work out a con-
stitution. But the powers be-
hind the scenes are still the
leaders of two rival religious
sects - Abdel Rahman ell
Mahdi and Eli Ell Mirghani.
Abdel Rahman is the son Of
the Mahdi who was executed
by the British in 1898 when
Lord Kitchener reconQuered
the Sudan after the Mahdi
revolt.
Playing the Egyptians
against the British, the two
leaders gained their nations
independence. They feel con-
fldent that the Arab Moslem
philosophy can survive and
prosper in this modern world
by pitting the East against
the West, getting what they
can from both.
They had to make some
inner political concessions.
They had hoped for a
Sudanese Kingdom and had to
settle for a republic. Men like
Premier Azhari. former school
teacher, earnestly strive to
build a democratic country.
The Premier knows that he
viii need plenty of outside
help.
The backbone of the Sudan
csc economy is the one million
irrigated acres OF the Gezira
area between the White and
Blue Niles where some of the
worlds finest long staple
cotton is grown. Divided
into $4,000 small tenant farms,
it supports half million
people who work the land in
partnership with the govern
ment. This collectivist ex-
pertinent was conceived and
developed by conservative
British colonial administrators
and represents perhaps the
most important agricultural
enterprise in the whole Middle
East and Africa.
finder for the Left
Lately. there has been
trouble in this area which is
bound to feed left-wing SYM
pathieS. Police clashed with
rebellious cotton farmers at
Kosti, near Gezira. When
hundreds were jailed and
damned into a single room,
1874 died of suffocation
The area accounts for 70
per cent of Sudanese exports.
Azhari plans to double the
number Of irrigated acres. to
build new water storage dam
on the Blue Nile, southeast Of
Khartoum.
Prospects are that the Sudan
will develop yet another rich
agricultural area when Egypt
builds its ASwan high dam,
whose reservoir will back up
the waters Of the Nile into
Northern Sudan, One Of the
things holding up the Aswan
dam has been the failure OF
Sudanese and Egyptian off,
Gals to get together on distri-
button Of the waters the pro-
jccted dam would preserve.
Recently the Sudan became
a member Of the Arab League
and announced plans to
strengthen its army of 10000
men. Military missions to buy
arms were sent to France,
Britain, India, PakiStan and
Czechoslovakla. A payments
agreement was concluded with
the Czechs which might we'll
lead to an exchange of arms
for cotton on the Egyptian
model.
Meanwhile. the United States
duly recognized the new coun-
try, sent a message of con-
gratulations and promoted her
liaison officer at Khartoum to
a charge d'affaireS. No eco
nomic aid OF any kind was
proffered.
For the East West jousting
bout sure to take place before
long in the Sudan, the Com
munistS, as usual. were the
first to get into position.