Marks on a sudanese arm dagger

[blue lander]

Do they mean anything? The waves at the top of the blade look decorational, but the marks towards the hilt seem to be writing or something. They're different on each side. I read through this thread, and it seems the markings are pre-islamic talismans.

Any general comments about this dagger would be appreciated as well. I assume it's quite modern. The hilt appears to be painted black or shellacked or something. The tang goes all the way through and is peened. The scabbard's leather, no metal in it, and the white bits are hard like rawhide. There's also a copper wire with a loop at the end attached to the throat of the sheath. Not sure if that's where they put the price tag or if it served some functional purpose. The blade's very sharp.