Less than a decade ago, Sudan, the largest country in Africa, was hardly a blip on the business map. Today, it is one of the most talked-about emerging markets in the region and Africa. The opening-up of the economy earlier this decade and the peace agreement between the Khartoum government and the southern rebel groups have made it possible again to access the country’s oil wealth, resulting in a surge of foreign government officials and businessmen to Sudan. Sudan’s current economic boom started in 1999 when it began exporting crude oil. This growth takes place despite strong internationally imposed sanctions, and in particular tough US sanctions, implemented since 1986 with new ones introduced in May 2007. Sudan has been able to sidestep these sanctions primarily because of China’s vast energy needs. The rapid economic surge Sudan has undergone was further bolstered in 2005 when a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was
