ection results: NA; the March 1996 elections were held on a
nonparty basis; parties are banned in the new National Assembly

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Special Revolutionary Courts

Political parties and leaders: political parties were banned
following 30 June 1989 coup, however, political "associations" are
allowed under a new law drafted in 1998 and implemented on 1 January

Political pressure groups and leaders: National Islamic Front or
its legal front)

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACP, AfDB,
AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim MAHAMMAD (recalled to
Khartoum in August 1998)
chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: US officials at the US
Embassy in Khartoum were moved for security reasons in February 1996
and have been relocated to the US Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and
Cairo, Egypt; they visit Khartoum monthly, but the Sudanese
Government has not allowed such visits since August 1998; the US
Embassy in Khartoum (located on Sharia Abdul Latif Avenue; mailing
employees; the US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya is located temporarily
in the USAID Building at The Crescent, Parkland, Nairobi; mailing
address--P.O. Box 30137, Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831;
Cairo, Egypt is located at (North Gate) 8, Kamel El-Din Salah
Street, Garden City, Cairo; mailing address--Unit 64900, APO AE

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top),
white, and black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist
side

Economy

Economy--overview: Sudan is buffeted by civil war, chronic
political instability, adverse weather, high inflation, a drop in
remittances from abroad, and counterproductive economic policies.
The private sector's main areas of activity are agriculture and
trading, with most private industrial investment predating 1980.
Agriculture employs 80% of the work force. Industry mainly processes
agricultural items. Sluggish economic performance over the past
decade, attributable largely to declining annual rainfall, has kept
per capita income at low levels. A l