War and Politics in Sudan: Cultural Identities and the Challenges of the Peace Process

(Hardback)

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On 9 July 2011, South Sudan became an independent state after more than half a century of civil conflict wrought with human rights abuse. Indeed, the post-colonial history of Sudan has been characterised by two Civil Wars spanning almost two decades each: the first from 1955-1972 and the second from 1983-2005. With questions of national and regional identity at the heart of the conflict, the Sudanese Civil Wars have highlighted key questions about the post-colonial epoch. Justin Leach's War and Politics in the Sudan offers a comparative analysis of the First and Second Sudanese Civil Wars, along with the peace treaties which ended them. Most historians have seen the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement as a stepping stone to renewed civil conflict in 1983 rather than as a settlement in its own right. Leach, on the other hand, believes that the size of Sudan precludes the application of traditional theories of conflict resolution. The introduction of natural resources brought a new facet to the already complex Second Sudanese Civil War. Oil, for instance, internationalised the conflict and added yet another prism through which groups in the conflict could view their identity.
By tracing the evolving demands of the southern insurgents and the regimes they fought against, Leach outlines the main challenges to the Sudanese nationalist project, including the strength of southern regional identities, the resurgence of political Islam in the north as well as the sheer duration of the conflict. War and Politics in the Sudan thus offers a fresh and timely analysis of a region long beset by civil conflict, interethnic violence and poverty, a region whose historical narrative has recently taken on a new trajectory. Those interested in post-colonial Sudanese history are sure to find Leach's arguments both persuasive and pertinent.

Reviews

'Justin D. Leach's book has been written at a very opportune moment. Following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 South Sudan had the right of a referendum on its future which took place in January 2011 and resulted in an overwhelming call for separation. In July of the same year the independence of The Republic of South Sudan took place amidst much celebration. Leach has written a comprehensive study of the processes by which decades of war in southern Sudan led eventually to this separation. His work successfully combines a narrative of events with a sophisticated analysis of the character of Sudan's politics for the whole of those years of conflict.' Peter Woodward, Professor Emeritus, University of Reading. 'This comparative analysis of the 1972 and 2005 peace accords in Sudan both provides important insights into key events in Sudanese history and gives a significant framework for understanding contemporary post-agreement developments in the two Sudans. Justin D. Leach's effective conceptialization of types of conflict resolution makes his study important for all who are interested in ways of resolving civil wars in post-colonial states.' John Voll, Professor of Islamic History, Georgetown University, Washington DC 'War and Politics in Sudan is a uniquely remarkable book, insightful, theoretically well grounded and intellectually stimulating. As the Peace Agreements (1972 and 2005) attest, the complexities of Sudan's multiple and interconnected conflicts are due to the ambiguities of the country's identity configuration which cannot be easily resolved by unionist or separatist models. Justin Leach has produced a book that will remain an indispensable resource for many years to come.' Francis M. Deng, Former Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities and the Director of the Sudan Peace Support Project at the United States Institute of Peace.

Author Bio

Justin Leach completed his PhD in Political Science and International Relations at the Australian National University in Canberra. He also holds an MA in Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies from the ANU. He currently teaches for Troy University in Arlington, Virginia.