International Conflict Management by Michael J. Butler

Author:Michael J. Butler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2011-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

The role of the state

While the second civil war between Khartoum and the southern Sudanese commanded a great deal of international attention during its 21-year tenure, organized violence between forces loyal to Khartoum and other factions has long prevailed in Sudan. Elements of various ethnic groups such as the Beja in the east, the Nuba in Kordofan, and especially the Fur in Darfur have been engaged in armed conflict by the Sudanese government or government-backed militias (such as the infamous janjaweed in Darfur) for years. At the heart of the armed violence in Sudan is the state itself; in much of the country, the state is viewed variously as oppressive, illegitimate, or simply a means for economic exploitation and personal enrichment (or some combination of the three). As el-Battahani (2006) points out:

Successive regimes have manipulated administrative structures to undermine the control of local people and authorities over resources. Identity and ideology, particularly Arab nationalism and political Islamism, have been used to mobilize support and compensate for the governance and development failings of state policies. Elites have mastered the divide-and-rule tactics inherited from the colonial era through their territorial organization of the modern Sudanese state. The result has been underdevelopment, exclusion and violent conflict. Indeed, as attention has shifted to the conflict in Darfur in recent years, the situation in Sudan has come to be seen for what it is: a series of interlocking civil wars, with interwoven causes such as resource scarcity, ethnic divisions, cultural and religious practices, and foreign intervention.

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