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Sudan/Nigeria: Whether Noah or Noan and Ishan are languages spoken in Sudan; whether these languages are also spoken in other countries

Reference to a language called Noah or Noan could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, a lecturer at Göteborg University and author of a doctoral dissertation entitled The Status and Use of African Languages in Sudan stated in correspondence that although she had not heard of a language called Noah or Noan in Sudan, the "Sudanese linguistic situation is not fully investigated ... and these names can be dialects of another language" (5 Nov. 2002).

Regarding the Ishan language, the lecturer at Göteborg University wrote that "it is a Nigerian language, but hundreds of thousands of Muslim Nigerians live in Sudan ... and have become Sudanese. They often stay in Sudan on their way to or from Mekka in Saudi Arabia" (ibid.).

The Ethnologue Website of ethno-linguistic groups claims that Ishan is an alternate name for the language called Esan which is spoken among 200,000 people in the regions of Edo State, Agbazko, Okpebho, Owan and Etsako Legislative General Assembly, including 7,000 Ekpon in seven villages (July 2002). Additional references were found to Ishan spoken within the southern region of Nigeria among the Edo ethnic group in Delta and Edo states (Ika World 26 May 2002; Edo Nation 3 Nov. 2002; VON n.d.).

No references to the Ishan language being spoken in countries other than Nigeria could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Edo Nation. 3 November 2002. Osamuyimen Stewart. "The Edo of Benin, Nigeria." <http://www.edo-nation.net/stewart1.htm> [Accessed 7 Nov. 2002]

Ethnologue. July 2002. "Esan: A Language of Nigeria." <http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ISH> [Accessed 3 Oct. 2002]

Ika World. 26 May 2002. J. Onyeche. "The Ika People." <http://www.ikaworld.com/old-opinion/people.html> [Accessed 4 Nov. 2002]

Lecturer, Göteborg University, Sweden. 5 November 2002. Correspondence.

Voice of Nigeria (VON). n.d. "Other Languages of South-South Nigeria." <http://www.voiceofnigeria.org/nigeria/benin.html> [Accessed 7 Nov. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

The Encyclopaedia Britannica

IRB Databases

NEXIS

Internet sites, including:

Adherents.com

Africa Online

AllAfrica.com

BBC Africa

Edo Nation

Edo State of Nigeria

Esan Akugbe Association of Canada

Ethnologue: Languages of the World

Indigenous Knowledge Network

New Nigerian

Newswatch Nigeria

Nigeria Daily

Sudan Home

Sudan Info Net

Vanguard

Voice of Nigeria

World News.com

World News Connection (WNC)

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