Rebels

Many seeking to understand the causes of Darfur’s rebellion look to the Black Book: Imbalance of Power and Wealth in Sudan, which was clandestinely published in 2000 by individuals who would later form Darfur’s Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), as

Read the rest of Transcribing Tyranny: JEM’s Black Book and the Language of Resistance »

The difficulties facing the Doha peace talks—highlighted in my report for the Small Arms Survey: Rhetoric and Reality. The Failure to Resolve the Darfur Conflict—have been starkly illustrated as meetings resume in Doha between mediators and representatives of some of

Read the rest of The Strife Inside the SLA »

This is the second of a two-part posting that charts the rise and fall of the Sudan Alliance Forces (SAF). This posting deals with the fall of the once-promising movement, showing how a paid insurgency was doomed to failure. By

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In this two-part posting I chart the rise and fall of the Sudan Alliance Forces (SAF), which at its foundation in 1996 was heralded as the most hopeful progressive force in the Sudanese political spectrum. This posting outlines the rise

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The critique of inequality and monopolization of power in Sudan follows both geographical and class dimensions. The central provinces are vastly richer and better serviced than the peripheries, and the income inequality between the mercantile elite and the remainder is

Read the rest of Liberating the Bantustans? On the Reactionary Nature of Sudanese Provincial “Revolutions” »

It is a rule of thumb among experienced relief workers that when a community builds and operates a school, it is a sign of normality returning, an indicator of confidence in the future. On arriving in the remote village of

Read the rest of A Taste of Normality in Ain Siro »

Professor Abdel Rahman Musa, leader of the SLM-Free Will group and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, passed away on Sunday. He was a fine Darfurian scholar and intellectual committed to peace for his people. Abdel Rahman grew up in

Read the rest of In Memoriam: Prof. Abdel Rahman Musa Abakar »

In the wake of JEM’s attack on Omdurman, a number of correspondents have urged closer, critical examination of the rebel movements. This is long overdue. In the last few weeks, the “movements”—more often than not, shifting collections of commanders rather

Read the rest of Examining the Rebels–At Last »

As more details emerge about JEM’s assault on the national capital at the weekend, it is becoming clear that this was a solo operation by JEM directed by its leader Khalil Ibrahim. Its aim was nothing less than taking power.

Read the rest of Making Sense of Khalil’s Putsch »

Picking up Alex’s question about the calculations of the JEM leadership, I believe this was a serious attempt at regime change—however over-ambitious or foolhardy it may now seem. JEM has said openly ever since it refused to sign the DPA

Read the rest of JEM’s Failed Attempt at Regime Change »