We must not forget Sudan’s social progress

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/19/must-not-forget-sudan-social-progress

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David Smith’s article about Sudan (Report, 8 December) is a good example of Guardian reporting as far as it goes. Its strength is the in-depth interviews with leading politicians, activists and UK embassy staff. But it neglects to mention the achievements and social progress the Sudanese government has realised.

Several achievements stand out. The government initiated a policy of empowering Sudanese women and mobilising their energies for development by allocating 25% of parliamentary seats to them. It has consolidated their right of equal pay for equal work and opened up employment in the judiciary, the civil service and foreign ministry. The deputy speaker of parliament is a woman, so are 80 judges, 45 diplomats, including 12 ambassadors, a lieutenant general in both the army and police, two cabinet ministers, six state ministers and three republican palace advisers. Currently, 45% of the civil service are women.

Furthermore, after the secession of the south, the Sudanese government embarked on a process of democratisation that culminated in the inclusive national dialogue which is now under way. Nineteen new universities were established as well as hundreds of secondary schools.

Motorways now link Port Sudan and Darfur to the rest of the country and are bound to accelerate development and modernisation. This is politically significant because years of US sanctions have devastated the transport infrastructure. In the past, railways played the main role in breaking down tribal barriers in central Sudan.

Thus through these new projects, the Sudan government addresses the complaints of distant areas that feel marginalised and propels development within those regions. Khalid Al Mubarak Media counsellor, Embassy of Sudan, London