Soliloquy of a Postage Stamp, # 67: Sudan- A Bite of History & its UN Relations / Fouad Kronfol

As a follow up to the long-ish article I wrote last week about my wife's and my experiences with UNICEF in Sudan, I decided on a complementary article about Sudan from the philatelic point of view, including material that has some historical interest and others that relate to the country's relations with the UN and its Agencies. It is unfortunate that in my collection I do not have any stamps related directly  to UNICEF. Moreover, from official catalogues I have found that Sudan until 2008 had not issued a single stamp to commemorate its cooperation with UNICEF, except one set in 1988 related to Child Survival & Development Revolution ....strange, for a country where UNICEF has a 70 year history and where it has one of its largest programmes and staffing ! 

This is one of the earliest stamps issued by the Sudan dated about 1898. The monetary unit was still the "millieme", also used in Egypt. The design shows a camel postman delivering mail in the country, an ingenious way to distribute postage.This design was used many times over the years and stands as an "emblem" of their postal system.

This is also one of the earliest Airmail stamps issued in the period 1931-35. It again shows the camel postman but he is looking up at an airplane which became the newest method of transportation in the vast country. Was this one of the infamous "Fokkers" ? Not easy to tell.

Of more than passing historical importance 1954 was the year of Sudan acceding to self government. This stamp commemorates that date with, again, the design of the camel postman and the appropriate inscription in Arabic and English.

It was on 1 January 1956 that Sudan became an independent country. This stamp commemorates that important date with a design showing the map of the country  with two wings attached to it. The sun is over the country map with the inscription in Arabic, "The Independence Day".

One of the first Sudanese stamps related to the UN was this one issued to commemorate World Refugee Year on 7 April 1960. It shows a destitute man and his child with his belongings on his shoulders. The emblem for the Year was the strong oak tree which is here  shown behind the two humans in a stylized version.

I had shown this stamp earlier as one of the many issued for the 1962 WHO  Anti-Malaria Campaign. The Sudanese stamp shows two humans clasping hands over the official logo for the Campaign as well as a humanoid lying under the mosquito. "The World United Against Malaria" is the slogan shown in Arabic and English with the date of 7 April 1962.

An interesting stamp is shown here which commemorates the country's advances in girls education. It is the 50th anniversary of girls being included in the national education system. This 1961 stamp shows a veiled woman reading a book with shelves of books behind her.

In 1964 Sudan issued this three stamp set to mark the 16th anniversary of the Universal Human Rights Declaration. The stamps have the face of Eleanor Roosevelt within a circle from which the Eternal Flame is shown and two humanoid figures with broken chains within another outer circle. The inscription in Arabic reads. " For the Defense of Human Rights".

Here is another set of two stamps issued by Sudan for the 1963 FAO Freedom From Hunger Campaign.The design is quite an elaborate one, showing a human head with a grain stalk in front and a hand holding a plant with two bulbs.

This three stamp set was issued in 1964 in support of the UNESCO Campaign to save the monuments of Nubia  from the rising waters of Lake Nasser after the building of the Aswan Dam. The designs are different frescos from the Faras Church in Sudan.

This three stamp set was issued in 1965 to commemorate the Centenary of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) from 1865-1965. The designs show the ITU Emblem and various forms related to telecommunication like telegraph poles, and radio signals

This set of two stamps was issued in 1966 to commemorate the inauguration of the new WHO Headquarters building in Geneva. Many countries issued stamps for this occasion. These stamps show the building  with the WHO Emblem and the head of a Sudanese with the turban.

Here we have the stamp issued by the Democratic Republic of the Sudan to commemorate the International Education Year in 1970. The UN General Assembly had decided in 1968 to mark 1970 as the International Education Year giving UNESCO the responsibility for guiding the implementation of the Year. The design is the logo for the occasion with the seal of the Sudan in upper right hand corner.

This stamp was issued to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the United Nations in 1970. It was , however, issued in 1972 for reasons unknown. The design shows the UN Emblem in the background with the inscription "25 UN CO and 1970" and a stylized Arabic calligraphy of the words "United Nations".

Here is some history in the making...a stamp that shows a group of officials signing the Accord of Autonomy for the Southern Provinces on 3 March 1972 . This was presumably the follow up to the Addis Ababa Peace Agreement signed by both parties in 1972. It is one of three stamps issued to celebrate National Unity in the Sudan.

Here is another three stamp set issued by Sudan to commemorate the International Cooperation year in 1965. The design shows the ICY logo on top of which is the head of a Sudanese wearing the traditional turban.

This three stamp set was issued in 1973 to commemmorate the 10th Anniversary of the World Food Programme. The design shows the Emblem of the WFP and the wall of a building decorated with Nubian artistry. The inscription  reads," WFP Project No. 001, Sudan Nubian Immigration and Resettlement". and "Ten Years in the Service of Development".

Here we have two stamps issued in 1974 to commemorate the Centenary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The first shows a series of postal items in a crescent shape with the UPU Emblem at the end. Inside the crescent is a dove and a horn. The second stamp has the same crescent but with the UPU Emblem inside it. At the top of the crescent is a map of Africa.

This rather somber stamp was issued in 1975 to commemorate the International Women's Year. It shows the IWY logo on the left and the Sudanese flag on top , with the dark shadow like the shape of a woman pointing at the logo.

Here is a stamp issued in 1979 to commemorate the International Year of the Child, which was one of the most successful events related to UNICEF up to that time.The stamp shows the separate IYC logo (issued to differentiaite it from that of UNICEF) and the drawing of a girl child sitting in the hand of an adult.

The last item this week is this stamp which was issued in 1988 as part of a series related to the Child Survival & Development Revolution. Its attractiveness comes from the contrast of the purple background and the white drawing of a Woman breast feeding her child. The inscription is, " Child's Health" in Arabic and English. I have not yet managed to find the other four stamps issued on this occasion showing oral re-hydration, immunization , growth monitoring and another on child health.