Orbits: Tribalism Pandemic in Sudan (2-3)

By: Muawad Mustafa Rashid

Recently, Sudan has witnessed an increase in the severity of the tribal conflicts affecting Sudan. Among the reasons that led to this growth is the corruption of successive political regimes and the complexity of the period following the overthrow of the regime of former Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

However, the roots of the tribal conflict go back to previous historical circumstances that have accumulated to form the bleak picture of the reality of the situation in Sudan.

The causes of Sudanese tribal conflicts extend on several levels, covering the provision of livelihoods and the conflict over land and water sources that this entails.
The absence of political or official institutions and authority in fueling these conflicts cannot be overlooked.
Tribal groups legitimized the modern state as an organizing framework for society, a disposer of public affairs, and a source of official authority and power. However, at the same time, these groups continued to decide issues and issues of conflicts in the tribal areas. It also remains responsible for issues similar to collecting taxes, recruiting the Popular Defense Forces, and pursuing outlaws.

In one way or another, the Sudanese tribes still enjoy sovereignty over themselves and their resources and continue to govern themselves on their own, according to their own laws and traditions.
Naturally, this complex situation has led many experts to raise questions about the nature of the division of sovereignty between the tribe and the state.

To answer these questions, we must be aware that the politicization of the tribal situation is one of the most important reasons for the escalation of tribal conflict, especially since tribalism involves fanaticism and has an identity connotation.