The 2011 split of Sudan and the conflicts that have followed make it a case of ongoing significance for understanding state-building in Africa. Examining both the north-south divide and the spread of violence from Darfur, this study shows how colonial legacies have shaped state formation and charts out a path to inclusive citizenship and democracy.

Focusing on Greater Khartoum following South Sudanese independence in 2011, In-Betweenness in Greater Khartoum explores the impact on society of major political events in areas that are neither urban nor rural, public nor private. This volume uses these in-between spaces as a lens to analyze how these events, in combination with other processes, such as globalization and economic neo-liberalization, impact communities across the region. Drawing on original fieldwork and empirical data, the authors uncover the reshaping of new categories of people that reinforce old dichotomies and in doing so underscore a common Sudanese identity.

South Sudan: Post-Independence Dilemmas is an interdisciplinary collection of essays which engages with the failure of the newest African State to transition itself successfully to a state and nation after its independence in July 2011. The contributors explore the prospects for new modes of politics capable of simultaneously healing and reconciling the divided communities while moving the country beyond divisive ethnic identities. As they focus on the political, historical, legal, or cultural challenges presented in the process of state formation, the chapters situate South Sudan’s dilemma in its history of political elitism and gender violence, and the role of international actors in order to examine the effects of these factors and the national mechanisms which have attempted to address them. By foregrounding the relationship between the crises of the state and the politics of ethnicity in South Sudan, the book explores new potentialities in finding an alternative pathway redirect and unleash the creative energies and capacities of the peoples in South Sudan for meaningful social and economic development. As such, it will be of interest to scholars of African Politics and State Building.

The Save Darfur movement gained an international following, garnering widespread international attention to this remote Sudanese territory. Celebrities and other notable public figures participated in human rights campaigns to combat violence in the region. But how do local activists and those throughout the Sudanese diaspora in the United States situate their own notions of rights, nationalism, and identity? Based on interviews with Sudanese social actors, activists, and their allies in the United States, the Sudan, and online, Branding Humanity traces the global story of violence and the remaking of Sudanese identities. Amal Hassan Fadlalla examines how activists contest, reshape, and reclaim the stories of violence emerging from the Sudan and their identities as migrants. Fadlalla charts the clash and friction of the master-narratives and counter-narratives circulated and mobilized by competing social and political actors negotiating social exclusion and inclusion through their own identity politics and predicament of exile. In exploring the varied and individual experiences of Sudanese activists and allies, Branding Humanity helps us see beyond the oft-monolithic international branding of conflict. Fadlalla asks readers to consider how national and transnational debates about violence circulate, shape, and re-territorialize ethnic identities, disrupt meanings of national belonging, and rearticulate notions of solidarity and global affiliations.

For over fifty years, the people of South Sudan fought for the right to be citizens of an independent nation-state. When this goal was finally achieved, however, it quickly became evident that the South Sudanese nation was not nearly as cohesive as hoped. The result has been a catastrophic civil war. Spanning South Sudan's nation-building struggle from its inception up until the current civil war, this book challenges the notion that the continued violence of this process can be reduced to either identity difference or the fault of individual leaders. Rather, it uses the leadership process to understand the complex progressions and relationships that have characterised South Sudan's nation-building trajectory. The book argues that the core driving force behind the current conflict in South Sudan can be found not in ethnicity, the “resource curse” or power struggle, but in a set of destructive relationships that have fueled violence and oppression in the country for the better part of a century. This cyclical leadership process has entrapped the country in an increasingly destructive and contradictory nation-building process that continues to spiral and disintegrate.

Sudan and South Sudan have suffered from repeated cycles of conflict and authoritarianism resulting in serious human rights and humanitarian law violations. Several efforts, such as the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and transitional justice initiatives have recognized that the failure to develop a stable political and legal order is at the heart of Sudan’s governance problems. Following South Sudan’s independence in 2011, parallel constitutional review processes are under way that have prompted intense debates about core issues of Sudan’s identity, governance and rule of law, human rights protection and the relationship between religion and the State. This book provides an in-depth study of Sudan’s constitutional history and current debates with a view to identifying critical factors that would enable Sudan and South Sudan to overcome the apparent failure to agree on and implement a stable order conducive to sustainable peace and human rights protection. It examines relevant processes against the broader (constitutional) history of Sudan and identifies the building blocks for constitutional reforms through a detailed analysis of Sudanese law and politics. The book addresses constitutionalism and constitutional rights protection in their political, legal and institutional context in Sudan and South Sudan, and the repercussions of the relationship between state and religion for the right to freedom of religion, minority rights and women’s rights.

South Sudan is currently facing a serious economic crisis occasioned by: i. the oil shutdown which began at the beginning of 2012; ii. the civil conflict which erupted in December 2013; iii. declining international crude oil prices which went down by almost 62% (from USD 104 per barrel in 2013 to USD 40 in 2016); iv. drastic decline in the daily oil production as a result of partial closure of Upper Nile oil fields and; v. total shutdown of Unity State oil fields as a result of the war. All these factors have a significant negative impact on the South Sudan's economy. On the other hand, South Sudan has abundant and mostly untapped natural resources. It has great agricultural potential given that the country is very fertile and blessed with land, water and mineral resource which are substantial in relation to the relatively small population of 10 million plus. Effective management and development of these resources will therefore offer the prospect of sustained strong economic growth. Hence, the key research questions for this study are: Why some countries experience sustained levels of steady economic growth much faster while others stagnate? What can to improve the role of economic and political institutions in economic performance? There is extensive evidence that institutions matter a great deal in determining the level of economic development of a country. They strongly affect the economic performance of countries and act in society at all levels by determining the frameworks in which economic exchange occurs. Many Economists have shown that differences in institutions, as deep determinants of economic growth, account for much of the differences in income and productivity per head observed between countries (Acemoglu et al., 2005 ). Institutions shape the policy and governance setting in a given country, which in turn characterize the rule of law, risk of expropriation, political stability and ease of doing business. This study ends by suggesting the most importing mechanisms to strengthen the political and economic institutions that will create public trust in the government and its institutions and lead to sustainable development and prosperity. With that in mind, the institutions should support the public and private sector, capability, social infrastructure, good governance, rules of laws in order to achieve sustainable economic growth and financial stability. In this context, the main objectives of this study is to analyze the economic and political structure in South Sudan to ensure its role in achieving sustainable Economic Development and to analyze the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies in responding to economic shocks. It is also opted to examine the structural soundness of the South Sudan economy and the efficiency of its key institutions in addressing the challenges. In particular, the role of a strong and healthy financial sector in weathering shocks and sustaining growth. In light of the above, this study focuses on the greater role institutions have played in the economic development of several East Asian countries as well as Africa. Though, it is argued that the institutions can be weaker and ineffective simply because of administrative, institutional, ethnic, social and political challenges including poor enforcement of the rule of law, corruption, mismanagement, lack of strong civil society and political interference. However, the strength of an institution determines whether a country will be poor or wealthy, whether or not its people are free or oppressed and if its people will suffer from poverty or benefit from prosperity. Therefore, the main recommendations of this study can be summarized as follows: - developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels; - building a variety of healthy institutions that can accelerate and spearhead growth; - building strong political and governmental institutions that enhance the governance - reforming the institutions with an aim to move from situations of stagnation to rapid growth or a better development paths; The study embraces a multi-pronged methodology, pursuing a combination of relevant methods and approaches of data collection, including both primary and secondary information sources. This study is organized as follows: Chapter 1 discusses the institutions, financial stability and sustainable Economic Development, theoretical framework in which we explore in the empirical analysis. Chapter 2 presents the historical background of institutions in South Sudan Chapter 3 focuses on institutions and financial stability where we discuss the institutional policies and approach for financial stability as well as issues of globalization, transparency, accountability and its impact on financial stability. In chapter 4, I discuss institutions and sustainable economic growth. It focuses on fundamentals and strategies of sustainable economic development and the role of good governance and institutions in long-term economic growth. In chapter 5, we discuss the prospects of strong institutions, financial stability and sustainable Economic Development in South Sudan. It discusses how efficiency and soundness of South Sudan's key institutions can be extremely valuable in process of building a sustainable economic growth and what can South Sudan learn from others countries. The last chapter is the conclusions and recommendations of research. The major findings of this study are as follows: - Conflicts affect economic outcomes mainly through the destruction of human and physical capital, shifts in public spending and private investment, as well as the disruption of economic activities and social life. - Building effective, efficient and accountable institutions in fragile state like South Sudan can be problematic and challenging. Most importantly, good political and economic governance, based on transparency and accountability, should be the key for building a politically and economically viable state capable of articulating a common vision for national unity, and providing stability and dividends of peace to its aspiring citizens. - Strictly, from economic point of view, a political resolution of the current crisis is urgently needed in order for South Sudan to restore the confident of investors, put socio-economic development as one of its priorities and regain its place as the world's newest investment destination. - Social, political and economic stability in South Sudan will depend on core institutions performing their functions sufficiently well to manage public resources effectively and distribute them equitably