Northeastern Sudan. A Forgotten Conflict in a Broader Perspective

Abstract

The study deals with the so far mostly unaccented problem of the conflict in
Northeastern Sudan. In contrast to the Darfur crisis, the conflict in NE
Sudan is in progress without attracting any greater amount of international
attention. In the text, I examine the development of the general
marginalization of the inhabitants of the region in the context of the
Sudanese politics since independence until the present time. The main
issues of the study are the ethnicization and economization of the conflict
and its international consequences. These consequences are still only
latent, but the lack of conflict management might contribute to the spread
of tensions abroad, as was the case with Darfur. I then argue that the
passivity of the international society, as in the case of Darfur, makes certain
that there is no chance for the NE Sudan conflict to be quickly resolved. As a
conclusion, I suggest a solution to the crisis in the form of a broader
engagement of regional organizations and states, especially IGAD (Inter-Governmental Agency for Development).