Demystifying the Root Causes of Conflict in Old “Greater” Sudan: Ethnicity and Tribalism?

Modern Sudan (North and South) has not enjoyed lasting peace. Sudan’s civil wars have been perceived to be primarily caused by its ethnic and tribal groups. This study uses a qualitative approach to analyze secondary data on the disputants and the causes of their conflicts. It demystifies the concepts of ethnicity and tribalism in order to examine why the conflicts appear to be unending in Sudan’s two republics. The findings reveal that the conflicts are not rooted in the identities of Sudan’s people. Their conflicts are about political autonomy, the distribution of the wealth derived from their scarce resources, issues of governance, and disputes over political boundaries