SUDAN CIVIL WAR
...ted and received preferential treatment as opposed to the black Africans of the south. It was during this period that the British attempted to modernize North Sudan by creating railways, irrigation projects and schools while simultaneously ignoring Southern Sudan; banning travel and trade between North and South Sudan. They also promoted the southern Sudanese to dissociate themselves from the North and banned them from wearing Northern Sudan attire (Wai 17). This could be seen as part of the British “divide and conquer” strategy. Upon independence there was a clear differentiation between Southern and Northern Sudan in terms of modernization, education and political standing. The British upon leaving Sudan left political control in the hands of the Northern Sudanese (Arabs) who were more educated and adept at the art of running a country because they were the favored ethnic group under the British. Hence, the Northern Sudanese having most of the economic opportunities and political power lead to a form of hierarchy that kept the Arabs on top of black Africans. This inequality led to resentment. The Southern Sudanese leaders at the time of independence were afraid of Arab domination which sought them to distance themselves from Northern Sudan with many southern Sudanese leaders advocating separation from Sudan. This resulted in Sudan’s first civil war which lasted for over 10 years and resulted in a peace agreement in 1972(BBC). This peace agreement was not respected for long and fighting continued, escalating when the Sudanese government imposed “Sharia” law in 1983 which were in essence laws based on the Islamic faith. Southern Sudanese Christians and traditional African religious followers were staunchly against “Sharia” law and this renewed Southern Sudan’s self-determination with much vigor. Sudan People’s Liberation army (SPLA) was created shortly after to fight against the Sudanese Government forces. The Northern Sudanese who make up the majority of the Gove...