Even as the world’s economy has faltered, Sudan has continued to do surprisingly well. But recent falls in commodity prices have revealed serious structural imbalances. The question remains: has the Sudanese government undertaken enough reforms to make the country’s economic success sustainable? According to statistics released earlier this year by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Sudan’s growth rate soared to 12.1% in 2006, well above the average for developing countries (7%). This growth rate may have fallen away slightly, on the back of a stagnating world economy, but Sudan still continues to outpace many in the developing world. A recent survey of the world’s least developed countries (LDCs), published in July by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), highlights the results of Sudan’s recent success. But the report also cautions that much of this success comes on the back of high global
