About Sudan

official name: Republic of the Sudan
capital: Khartoum
head of state: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993);
State: Government of National Unity
population: 39,379,358 (July 2007 est.)
independence: from Egypt and Britain in January 1, 1956
languages: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English
religion: Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), indigenous beliefs 25%, Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum)
currency: Sudanese dinar (SDD)
media: NA

legal wise

status of homosexuality: illegal
age of consent: NA
laws covering homosexual activity: In 1983 a new penal code was promulgated; ostensibly it is based on the shari'a without adherence to any special school. Article 316 defines zina [fornication] as penetration with the penis (or part thereof) into the vagina or the anus of a person on whom one has no legal right to or as granting permission to someone without legal right to penetrate one's vagina or anus. For a muhsan [married man] capital punishment is described, for a gair muhsan [bachelor] 100 lashes.

The laws was seldom applied. No cases of executions for sodomy were reported prior to April 1985, when the government of an-Numairi was overthrown and these rules were temporarily put aside. Between September 1983 and April 1985 hundreds of men and women were lashed for "intended" unlawful heterosexual intercourse, but none, as far as is known, for sodomy.

In February the military government of Hassan al-Basir reinstated shari'a law.

(Arno Schmitt and Jehoeda Sofer - "Sexuality and Eroticism Among Males in Moslem Societies")

background information and government attitudes:
3/93: At hearing of UN's NGO Committee in New York, voted against ILGA's application for consultative status with ECOSOC, and led the hostile States: "Our opposition to this organization is principled, because of the nefarious and evil acts done by this group". (Unofficial transcript by ILGA New York observers).

9.95: At UN 4th Conference on Women in Beijing opposed the (unsuccessful) proposal for inclusion of references to "sexual orientation" in the draft "Platform for Action"

Voted against granting ILGA consultative status at the UN in January 2002 and again on 30 April 2002 saying that the association had failed to provide "crystal clear evidence that it had rid itself and its members of pedophilia... the vote in favour of not granting status to that NGO would affirm the will and commitment of the international community to protect our children."

communication

main lines in use: 670,000 (2005)
Cellular telephones: 1.828 million (2005)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998).
Radios: 7.55 million (1997).
Television broadcast stations: 3 (1997).
Televisions: 2.38 million (1997).
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2006)
Internet users: 2.8 million (2005)

links and contacts
NA

a voice from sudan