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Conflict in Sudan: root causes
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Note Juba in the South, where Japan will be building 17 bridges
That there is a devastating genocide in Sudan is well-known; but are its causes equally evident? The media keeps you up-to-date with events in Sudan: check out The New York Times page on Sudan and you’ll know that “Japan is to build 17 bridges in Juba, S. Sudan”, or that “Gunmen Kidnap[ped] 3 Workers with Aid Group in Darfur”. These articles are informative, but they don’t provide context for the reader, so unless you’re an expert, the info is pretty useless.
As an alternative media source, this Correspondent aspires to provide for you, the Reader, the information and analysis about African issues that the mainstream media does not. In this article, I plan on providing you with the background needed to understand not just what is happening in Sudan, but why, so that you can make informed decisions.
The conflict in Darfur is steeped in history and complexity. To put it plainly, there is no simple explanation for the genocide that has swept from the South to the West. However, I can break down the underlying factors to make it more comprehensible.
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Possibly the biggest single cause of the Sudanese conflict can be summed up in a word: oil.
Two scholars, Mats Berdal and David Malone, conducted a study of all the civil conflicts in Africa. Using a quantitative, statistical approach, they discovered that overwhelmingly the primary cause for conflicts is greed: “…income and asset inequality, ethnic and religious divisions, and political repression do not seem to increase the risk of conflict….The evidence on the causes of conflict points to economic factors as the main drivers of conflict” (Berdal and Malone, Greed and Grievance 110).
Sudan’s large oil reserves are in the South, and the North wants control over them. Considering 70% of Sudan’s export revenues comes from oil, it’s high on Khartoum’s list of priorities. Sudan has found a stalwart patron in China; in return for diplomatic support, military supplies, and investment, Sudan exports 60% of its oil to China. This relationship is under strain as of late, as China voted to approve an arrest warrant for Sudan’s leader, Omar al-Bashir, from the International Criminal Court. Without oil, there would be much less at stake, and thus a less lethal conflict.
Identity
That individuals are willing to blow themselves up for (what they perceive as) the greater good of their society shows beyond a doubt that group identity plays a potent role in conflicts. If hatred can drive a person to sacrifice his life, then it can motivate a group to do much worse. If finance trumped all else in decision-making, then conflicts such as this one wouldn’t exist.
The Arab government in Khartoum’s perpetual identity crisis provides fuel for the conflict. The North Sudanese are in ‘identity limbo’: not accepted by their Arab cousins as equals, they despise the blacks who ‘tarnish’ Sudan’s reputation as an upright Arab nation. This insecurity fuels hatred and a militaristic outlook, as can be seen in former President Gaafar Nimeiry’s attempts to institute Sharia law across the country.
Thus the ethnic/religious dimension is a potent factor in an almost continual civil war lasting from 1955 to 2005 (with an eleven year break from 1972 to 1983). For decades, Sudan has been a (well-deserved) social pariah, completely isolated from regular diplomatic circles. The UN has slapped on several economic sanctions, though China has prevented much of substance from being implemented on an international level. This also contributes to Khartoum’s already substantial insecurity.
History
Today’s tension has roots reaching back hundreds of years. The Moslem expansion that swept much of North and West Africa stopped short of converting the Christian and Animist blacks of South Sudan. That didn’t stop them from trying though. The Arabs’ attempts at assimilation and religious conversion continued until Sudan became a British colony. Under British supervision, North and South Sudan were ruled separately, furthering the distinction between the two. Upon independence, the Arabs quickly dominated the South’s government; the old animosities rekindled quickly and ferociously, leading to an intractable civil war.
Conclusion
Sudan is thousands of miles away, but what happens there profoundly affects us. Promoting human rights and democracy is a cornerstone of the American identity. Allowing genocide, the grossest violation of human dignity conceivable, while we are the global leader, violates our values. In the past, we’ve made enormous sacrifices in pursuit of our national interests. In the least, we can make the prevention of genocide a higher priority than it is now. Next time you hear a politician pitch his stance on Sudan, or hear a friend talk about it, my hope is that you’ll understand enough to make an informed decision or a thoughtful contribution.
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