MER Article Sudan's Economic Nightmare Ten years ago, Sudan was described in a Food and Agriculture Organization report as a potential “breadbasket of the world.” Hopes for the development of Sudan’s economy were running high at the time: the investment of Arab oil-generated revenues in Sudan's agricultural sector seemed to hold immense Tim Niblock • 12 min read
MER Article Khartoum's Greatest Challenge Colonel John Garang’s Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) played no direct role in the April 6 coup in Khartoum. But as the only organized, fighting resistance to the regime of Ja‘far Numairi, it laid the groundwork by chipping away at the state in a guerrilla campaign that cost the government A Special Correspondent • 11 min read
MER Article Sudan's Revolutionary Spring Khartoum, April 23. General ‘Abd al-Rahman Siwar al-Dhahab, in power since April 6, was expected to name an interim cabinet on Monday, April 22, to govern the country under army supervision for a transitional period of one year. In the meantime, General Siwar al-Dahab appointed an interim cabinet fo Eric Rouleau • 22 min read
From the Editors (September/October 1985) The popular revolution in Sudan this spring may well represent more than just a local political transition. The overthrow of Numairi’s 16-year reign marks the end of a decade and a half of regime stability throughout the Arab world, with the exception of the two Yemens. This era of enormous wealth a The Editors • 3 min read
Letters (July/August 1985) Pro captu lectoris habent sua fata libelli. Truly, the fate of books depends upon the discernment of their readers. My books have already received 87 reviews. None, not the London Times, not Izvestia, not even the Jerusalem Post, thought to -- twice! -- denounce me for being overly moral. Except MER (Author not identified) • 4 min read
Smith, Palestine and the Palestinians Pamela Ann Smith, Palestine and the Palestinians, 1876-1983 (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1984). (Author not identified) • 2 min read
Khoury, Urban Notables and Arab Nationalism Philip S. Khoury, Urban Notables and Arab Nationalism: The Politics of Damascus, 1860-1920 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983). This is the latest in a growing number of studies which discuss the social origins of political ideologies in the Arab East. Philip Khoury sets himself the task James A. Reilly • 3 min read
Sulayman, al-Masalla Nabil Sulayman, al-Masalla [The Obelisk] (Beirut: Dar al-Haqa’iq, 1980). Ulrike Stehli • 4 min read
Breaking the Silence “Forget about ideology; we see the facts on the Hi ground.” The Palestinian woman speaks softly but firmly, recounting the tragedies of her people. It is obvious, she says, that Zionism is the central issue in the Middle East. “Because of Zionism, I live in America instead of Palestine. You can’t ig Denis Doyon • 8 min read
Portraits of Syrian Workers THE DIBS COMPANY WORKERS The United Arab Industrial Company, also known as the Dibs Company after its former owners, is a large textile factory located in a rural area south of Damascus. It was founded in 1955 and nationalized in 1964. In 1980, it had 1,660 employees, nearly 200 of whom were admini Elisabeth Longuenesse • 6 min read
The Syrian Working Class Today What is the position of the working class in contemporary Syrian society? I posed this question ten years ago and concluded at the time that one could only speak of a “class in formation.” [1] I was criticized then for having even raised such a question. After all, pre-capitalist relations of produc Elisabeth Longuenesse • 18 min read
Palestinians in Damascus The assault on the Palestinian camps in Beirut ended in a truce signed in Damascus on June 17, which reflected the failure of Amal to defeat the Palestinian militias. The agreement also reflected Syria’s role in the battles by having the Palestinian side represented only by the Palestine National Sa (Author not identified) • 5 min read
