Conflict and the conceptions of identities in the Sudan

Abstract

My native Sudan has been ravaged by conflicts over identity and socioeconomic marginalization since independence from Britain in 1956. Elitist debates confined the country’s diverse identities to two dichotomous categorizations: Arabism, associated with Islam and Arabic descent and culture, and Africanism, linked to Christianity, indigenous beliefs and African culture. These polarized views, along with the dominant ideology of the imposition of Arabism and Islam as the basis of national identification, triggered a national identity crisis. This crisis contributed to the escalation of armed conflicts notably the civil war between the North and the South and the current conflict in the Sudan’s Western province of Darfur. This article explores the Darfur conflict which erupted between the central government and liberation groups in 2003, and has been described both as the first genocide of the 21st century and an ethnic cleansing in which the Arab militia are killing the Africans. Using data gathered recently in the Sudan, this article extends the debates on Sudanese identities by showing that the boundaries between Africanism and Arabism are fluid, and by positing multiple identities that resurface as a result of globalization, migration and social ties among ethnic groups. By deconstructing the dominant conceptions of the Sudanese identities, and considering new conceptions about these identities, we can address social dynamics that impact the conflict and take them into consideration when it comes to conflict resolution. Multiculturalism is proposed as a model that could help to accommodate the country’s diverse identities and foster stability.

The role of identity transformations in comparative victim beliefs? Evidence from South Sudanese diaspora

“…Prior to the civil wars, Sudan was inhabited by a diverse ethnic and religious population, with some estimating the country to have about 500 ethnic groups who speak 130 languages (Zambakari, 2013). However, these groups became confined into two dichotomous superordinate social identities -Arabism, which is associated with groups with Muslim and Arab descent and culture, and Africanism, which is associated with groups with Christian or indigenous beliefs and African culture (Madibbo, 2012;Mamdani, 2004). Propelled by discourse from elites of both groups on whether Sudan should primarily be identified as an Arab or African country, Sudan became engulfed in a 'national identity crisis' (A/ Salam, 2008), with the mostly dominating Northern elites claiming an Arab identity and institutionalizing the hegemony of Arabism in various facets of social and political life (e.g., Arabic became the only medium of education and public communication, Madibbo, 2012).…”

“…Specifically, I examine how the Sudan civil wars shaped the "ingroup" and "outgroup(s)", and how these conflict-informed social identities were then used in construals of comparative victim beliefs. The Sudan civil wars provide a fitting context for examining these questions given the multiple groups in Sudan and their continuous evolution during and in the aftermath of the war (Madibbo, 2012;Mamdani, 2004; see also Moss, 2017). Furthermore, the identities of migrant groups continue to evolve as their social contexts change (Bhatia, 2002), thus presenting a complex blueprint for their construals of comparative victim beliefs.…”

Data-Driven Decision Making in Fragile Contexts: Evidence from Sudan

“…De Waal (2005) also argues that the "polarization of 'Arab' and 'African' identities" has adversely influenced the level of conflict. According to Madibbo (2012), the northern ruling elites are seeking to impose an Arab identity as a basis on which to define Sudan's national identity. The use of the Arabic language as the medium of education and public communication and the adoption of Islam as a state religion reflect this development.…”

Voicing the Voiceless: Including the Stories of Marginalized Students in Classroom Literature

“…In the Sudan, for instance, Madibbo (2012) states the British provided the Northern Arab (Arabized) elite with more infrastructure and development, in addition to resources like education, communication, and health services. The fact that these Sudanese of Arab descent have lighter skin than the Southern Sudanese of African descent surely explains the differences in resources they received.…”