Tom Fudge : Sudan is a country just south of Egypt, which has a proud, ancient tradition. Like the Egyptians, the Nubians also built pyramids, worshiped the gods and fielded armies. But the land that Nubia became, which is now Sudan, is known better today for its civil unrest than its civilization. The fighting and genocide in Darfur, in the west of the country, is well known. But that's just part of it. For decades, the Arab-speaking, Muslim North has fought a civil war with forces in the South. Although a peace agreement was forged in 2005, it looks like that is becoming a thing of the past.
The violence and political instability of Sudan is a hardship for all of its neighbors in northern Africa and in the horn of Africa. It's also resulted in many immigrants leaving the country and coming to places like San Diego.
Ambassador Vraalsen will be speaking about the future of Sudan at 7p.m. at the Robinson Auditorium on the campus of UCSD.
- Tom Vraalsen, former chairman of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission in Sudan. The commission was tasked with monitoring the implementation of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement . He is also a former ambassador for Norway.
