Table Of ContentConflict and Politics of
Identity in Sudan
This page intentionally left blank
Conflict and Politics of
Identity in Sudan
Amir H. Idris
CONFLICTANDPOLITICSOFIDENTITYINSUDAN
© Amir H.Idris,2005.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2005 978-1-4039-6939-2
All rights reserved.No part of this book may be used or reproduced
in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
First published in 2005 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN™
175 Fifth Avenue,New York,N.Y.10010 and
Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire,England RG21 6XS
Companies and representatives throughout the world.
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the
Palgrave Macmillan division of St.Martin’s Press,LLC and
of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.Macmillan® is a registered trademark
in the United States,United Kingdom and other countries.
Palgrave is a registered trademark in the
EuropeanUnion and other countries.
ISBN 978-1-349-53122-6 ISBN 978-1-4039-8107-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9781403981073
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Idris,Amir H.,1962–
Conflict and politics of identity in Sudan / by Amir Idris.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1.Sudan—Politics and government—1985– 2.Political
culture—Sudan.3.Political violence—Sudan.4.Citizenship—
Sudan.5.Nationalism—Sudan.6.National characteristics,
Sudanese.7.Sudan—Colonial influence.8.Slavery—Sudan.I.Title.
JQ3981.A91I37 2005
962.4043—dc22 2005048683
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd.,Chennai,India.
First edition:August 2005
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Map of the Sudan vi
Abbreviations and Acronyms vii
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Reconceptualizing History, Identity, and
Conflict 9
Chapter 2 Slavery, Colonialism, and State Formation
in the Sudan 23
Chapter 3 Nationalism, State, and Identity Politics 43
Chapter 4 Exile, Identity, and Political Reform 57
Chapter 5 The Crisis in Darfur and the North–South
Peace Process 77
Chapter 6 Beyond “Race” and “Ethnicity”: Toward
a Transformative Discourse for
Democratic Citizenship 93
Conclusion 109
Notes 113
Bibliography 127
Index 139
Sudan
EGYPT
LIBYA Dongola
Port Sudan Red
Sea
Northern
Kassala
CHAD
Fashir Khartoum
ERITREA
Darfur Madeni
Kordofan White Nile Blue
Nile
ElObeid
BlueNile
Upper
Malakal Nile
ETHIOPIA
CENTRAL Bahr al-Ghazal
AFRICAN Wau Jonglei Canal
REPUBLIC
Equatoria
DEMOCRATIC
Juba
REPUBLIC
OF CONGO KENYA
UGANDA
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS JONGLEI CANAL
REGIONAL BORDERS CITIES
Abbreviations and Acronyms
GOS Government of the Sudan
IGAD Inter-Governmental Authority on Development
JEM Justice and Equality Movement
NDA National Democratic Alliance
NIF National Islamic Front
OAU/AU Organization of African Unity/African Union
SANU Sudan African National Union
SLA Sudan Liberation Army
SLM Sudan Liberation Movement
SPLA Sudan People’s Liberation Army
SPLM Sudan People’s Liberation Movement
This page intentionally left blank
Preface
Since the 1980s, I have been studying and researching the causes
of the civil war and its consequences in the Sudan. Two factors
pushed me to embark on this academic journey at that time.
First, the rising number of civilians who were killed as a result of
the war or other war-related causes made me aware of the inten-
sity and viciousness of the war. Second, the civil war also had a
personal impact. In mid-1980s, I was able to meet my aunt for the
first time in my life. It was also a memorable moment for my
father who was reunited with his sister after more than two
decades. But, this historical reunion became possible not as a
result of a personal choice but rather as a consequence of the mil-
itary regime policy of aggression and discrimination toward people
of Southern Sudan. Like hundreds of thousands of Southern
Sudanese civilians forced to flee the South, my aunt left Bahr al
Ghazal to Wed Medani, a city in the Central Sudan, where her
brother had lived for decades. Her long journey to the North not
only made me realize the extent of the human suffering in the
South, but also the determination of those who were subjected to
oppression and racism to make the North their refuge. Indeed, the
struggle in this context did not only mean the securing of basic
needs but also the coexistence with other identities and histories.
Growing up in a family with multiple identities and histories
indeed gave me the opportunity to observe how different cultures
and traditions coexisted and reconciled in a shared space. This
shared space has been made and remade by the involvement of all
members of the family in spite of their cultural, traditional, and
