Sorghum harvest expectations

ReliefWeb has published a map that suggests better than average sorghum harvests in East Sudan. Note the colours green and blue in the Red Sea Hills.] Their analysis for the country is less positive. "
In Burundi, Eritrea and Sudan the growing season has been normal to dry and average or slightly below average sorghum/millet yields up to -5% are expected."

This is good news for Beja people, and contrast somewhat with earlier reports that the rains will be late. [see blog entries below]

Drought is occuring in Ethiopia, and reports exist that identify malnutrition rates at higher than 20% for regions there.
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Source: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/HHOO-7TXLSR
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Recent Census Results Disputed

Political parties in Red Sea State have rejected the results of the 5th National Population and Housing Census on the grounds the results give inaccurate figures of their population, reports Al-Ahdath. The parties demand that the 1993 census results be used as reference for the forthcoming elections. In a statement issued at a ceremony in Port Sudan yesterday [July 4] to mark the signing of a “Charter for Political Forces and Civil Society Organizations”, representatives of political parties called on the State Elections Commission to coordinate with them in monitoring
and overseeing all stages of the electoral process.

Signatories of the Charter included the SPLM, the Popular Congress Party, the Communist Party of the Sudan, the National Umma Party, the Beja Congress, amongst other parties and that the event was hosted by the Popular Congress Party, Port Sudan Chapter.

Rai Al-Shaab also reports that nine political parties (including the main parties mentioned above) have called on authorities in Red Sea State to lift the state of emergency imposed earlier on the Akeek area in South Tokar.

Source : UNMIS media compilation July 5, 2009
http://www.unmis.org/english/2009Docs/mmr-jul05.pdf

Sudan comes in Third

Research group "The Fund for Peace" has come out with its fifth annual list of failed states. 177 countries are listed, and classified on twelve indicators that attempt to measure success or failure as a nation. Factors for all nations include demographic pressures, complex humanitarian emergencies, uneven economic development, suspension of the rule of law, the intervention of other states, etc etc.

Sudan comes in third worst, just behind of Somalia and Zimbabwe. Eritrea comes in at 36, Egypt at 43. South Africa 122. USA 159. Canada 166. Best state on the 2009 list is Norway.

View all country results here.
http://www.fundforpeace.org/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=99&Itemid=140

View Sudan results!
http://www.fundforpeace.org/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=383&Itemid=540
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