Sudan and the nightmare of perennial conflict

Sudan is a clear example of those African states that have experienced all kinds of conflict for many decades. Since independence, the country has never been politically stable.

The violent conflict that has erupted in the past few days that has pitted the two institutions of state security against each other is a stark reminder of the fragility and vulnerability of Sudan to violent conflict. The history of violent conflict in Sudan goes back to 1955 when an armed rebellion was launched by a South Sudanese army captain Joseph Lagu in protest against the ill-treatment of South Sudanese black people by the predominantly Arab Northern Sudanese political elite.