131. Sudan at the Crossroads
- Author:
- Francis M. Deng
- Publication Date:
- 03-2007
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- MIT Center for International Studies
- Abstract:
- There is a tendency in the outside world to see the tragedy in the Darfur region of the Sudan in isolation from the regional conflicts that have been proliferating in the country for a half cen- tury. These conflicts reflect an acute crisis of national identity that is both a cause of genocidal wars and a factor in the state’s indif- ference to the resulting humanitarian consequences. This explains the Sudanese government’s resistance to international provision of protection and assistance to the affected populations. The conflicts in the Sudan indicate a nation in painful search of itself, striving to be free from historical discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, and culture. It is, therefore, necessary to combine a suitable humanitarian response with solutions that go to the roots of the national identity crisis and address its stratifying implications.
- Topic:
- Nationalism, Humanitarian Intervention, Conflict, and Humanitarian Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Sudan, and Darfur