The Social Fabric and Its Impact on the Sudanese Conflict

The war in Sudan is not merely a conflict between armed factions vying for political dominance; rather, it embodies a protracted crisis deeply rooted in the structure of the Sudanese society. Ethnicity, tribalism, regional affiliation, and cultural identity have been transformed from frameworks of belonging into tools for political mobilization and collective violence. The current war, and the preceding conflicts and fractures within the Sudanese state and society, are not isolated events. Instead, they are considered the cumulative result of historical exclusions, institutional failures, and identity-based governance that have developed since the independence of Sudan in 1956 and intensified with successive authoritarian regimes.