The Root Causes of Sudan's Civil Wars (African Issues Series) by Douglas H. Johnson

Product Details

Synopsis

Sudan's post-independence history has been dominated by long, recurring, and bloody civil wars. Most commentators have attributed the country's political and civil strife either to an age-old racial and ethnic divide between Arabs and Africans or to colonially constructed inequalities. In The Root Causes of Sudan's Civil Wars, Douglas H. Johnson examines historical, political, economic, and social factors to come to a more subtle understanding of the trajectory of Sudan's civil wars. Johnson focuses on the essential differences between the modern Sudan's first civil war in the 1960s, the current war, and the minor conflicts generated by and contained within the larger wars. Regional and international factors, such as humanitarian aid, oil revenue, and terrorist organizations, are cited and examined as underlying issues that have exacerbated the violence. Readers will find an immensely readable yet nuanced and well-informed handling of the history and politics of Sudan's civil wars.

Foreign Affairs

This authoritative and detailed study of Sudan's contemporary conflicts aims to discourage "quick fix" thinking by tracing the historical patterns of power and politics that have brought the country to its current impasse. It shows how Sudanic states of the precolonial era established exploitative relations with their hinterland populations, which the colonial powers did nothing to redress, leaving modern Sudan to come to independence with no consensus on national goals and no strategies of development. The emergence of militant Islam in the late nineteenth century bequeathed to Sudan a narrow and ambiguous nationalism that strongly reinforced center-periphery tensions. Cold War influences and the interest of foreigners in Sudan's water and oil resources further complicated an already complex struggle for power and territorial control from the 1960s onward. Never just a matter of competition between religions, races, or regions, Sudan's multiple internal conflicts today are as seemingly intractable as ever, despite serious peace efforts. Students and researchers will benefit from the extended bibliographical essay and chronology included in this excellent book.

Biography

Douglas H. Johnson teaches history at St. Antony's College, Oxford University. He has worked with various relief agencies and relief efforts in the Sudan.