ABSTRACT
A severe crisis of expectations dominated Sudan's domestic affairs throughout 1987. The picture was made even bleaker by the escalation of the civil war of southern Sudan. Foreign affairs were not a source of encouragement to the government. Relations with Libya continued in 1987 to be the most divisive of all foreign issues. Libya's relations with Sudan apparently reflected on the latter's relations with Egypt, which had been frozen since the overthrow of Ja'far al-Numayri's regime in April 1985. Sudan made intensive efforts to bolster bilateral ties with two other neighbors —Ethiopia and Uganda. The weak coalition government, fearing that a daring economic policy might trigger further political instability, refrained from taking the necessary, stringent measures. Sudan's involvement in the Arab arena continued to be a relatively low-key, relating only to issues relevant to Khartoum's vital interests.
