| | Commonly perceived as the Sudan's 'southern problem' , what is now the oldest conflict in Africa has developed dimensions that are concealed in that narrow formulation. Among these are a) a generalized confrontation between centre and periphery in a state marked by gross iniquities in access to power and resources, b) a conflict over the legitimacy of the current fundamentalist regime in Khartoum, c) a parallel conflict over the legitimacy of the leadership of the southern liberation movement, and d) an intensifying struggle over diminishing resources among ethnic groups in various parts of the country. In the South itself, the conflict has split the liberation movement and has brought the issue of separation to the forefront of the political debate. |
