For social science research in Darfur, the 1990s were a black hole. After Darfur’s descent into violence at the end of the 1980s, and the National Salvation coup, few researchers ventured into the field there. Karin Willemse is one of

Read the rest of Darfur: Gender, Islamism and the Crises »

The speech by former South African President Thabo Mbeki at the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, Qatar, is published on the African Arguments website. It is a meticulous account of the steps taken by the ANC in deciding why, how

Read the rest of Thabo Mbeki: “Talking to the Enemy” »

Since 2008, representatives of all political forces in Darfur, including representatives of civil society, have engaged in a dialogue addressing the root causes of the Darfur conflicts. The dialogue was organized by the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law

Read the rest of The Heidelberg Darfur Dialogue Outcome Document »

The results of the presidential elections in Sudan came as no surprise to many. When they were announced, most shrugged their shoulders, sharpened their cynicism and moved on to other topics. But the National Assembly elections are being watched with

Read the rest of National Assembly Results for Sudan’s 2010 Elections: An Analysis »

Yesterday, former South African president Thabo Mbeki addressed the Fifth Al Jazeera Annual Forum in Doha, Qatar. He described and analysed in detail the South African experience of negotiating the transition to democracy, and drew some lessons relevant to the

Read the rest of Thabo Mbeki: "Talking to the Enemy: the South African Experience" »

Preparedness Support: Helping Brace Beneficiaries, Local Staff and Partners for Violence is a new report under the auspices of the Cuny Center Humanitarian aid agencies can help beneficiaries, local staff and partners physically prepare themselves today for the violence they

Read the rest of Preparedness Support: Helping Brace Beneficiaries, Local Staff and Partners for Violence »

I have found the exchanges between Khalid al Nur and Abd al-Wahab Abdalla illuminating, both in terms of the current state of political discourse in Sudan, and also the deeper controversies that are reflected in the disagreements. As mentioned by

Read the rest of Two Sudans: Nationalism, Self-Determination and Democracy »

The National Election Commission preliminary results, from its website, have been updated this week. They are available here: NEC results updated 20 May 2010

Read the rest of National Assembly Results »

Ustadh Abd-al Wahab is a good example of a well-known trend among Sudanese intellectuals, who prefer to describe an ideal Sudan as the “true” Sudan and dismiss the reality as a deviation from the reality. It is as though the

Read the rest of Southern Sudanese Will Not Be Voting on “What If” History »

A fair amount has been made of the role of international observers in Sudan’s recent elections, with the most strident criticism suggesting that their mere presence served to legitimise a government that didn’t deserve it. It is early to tell

Read the rest of Sudan: International Election Observation and Legitimacy »