Sudan has long been an impoverished giant asleep along the banks of the upper Nile. But the discovery of immense oil reserves beneath the desert has brought China to its aid, with a series of projects designed to jump-start development, including an enormous dam that will flood dozens of villages and archaeological sites. TG2 Dossier examines the dilemma of modern-day Africa, caught between the need for growth and the risk of losing its cultural traditions and damaging the environment.