Sudan : Darfur and the failure of an African state

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Title:

Sudan : Darfur and the failure of an African state

Author:

Cockett, Richard.

ISBN:

9780300162738

Personal Author:

Cockett, Richard.

Publication Information:

Physical Description:

x, 315 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Abstract:

"Over the past two decades, the situation in Africa's largest country, Sudan, has progressively deteriorated: the country is in second position on the Failed States Index, a war in Darfur has claimed hundreds of thousands of deaths, President Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court, a forthcoming referendum on independence for Southern Sudan threatens to split the country violently apart. In this fascinating and immensely readable book, the Africa editor of the Economist gives an absorbing account of Sudan's descent into failure and what some have called genocide. Drawing on interviews with many of the main players, Richard Cockett explains how and why Sudan has disintegrated, looking in particular at the country's complex relationship with the wider world. He shows how the United States and Britain were initially complicit in Darfur -- but also how a broad coalition of human-rights activists, right-wing Christians, and opponents of slavery succeeded in bringing the issues to prominence in the United States and creating an impetus for change at the highest level."--Publisher description.

Contents:

The one-city state -- Populists and civil war, 1956-89 -- The National Islamic Front and Turabi in power, 1989-2000 -- Sudan and the West: slavery, conscience and al-Qaeda -- Darfur: how the killing was allowed to happen -- Darfur: the vortex -- Surviving in the north, failing in the south.

Subject Term:

Politics and government (OCoLC)fst01919741

Konflikt.

Bürgerkrieg.

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Library	Material Type	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
Searching... Sugar Grove - Todd Library	Book	DT159.6 .D27 C63 2010	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Over the past two decades, the situation in Africa's largest country, Sudan, has progressively deteriorated: the country is in second position on the Failed States Index, a war in Darfur has claimed hundreds of thousands of deaths, President Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court, a forthcoming referendum on independence for Southern Sudan threatens to split the country violently apart.

In this fascinating and immensely readable book, the Africa editor of the Economist gives an absorbing account of Sudan's descent into failure and what some have called genocide. Drawing on interviews with many of the main players, Richard Cockett explains how and why Sudan has disintegrated, looking in particular at the country's complex relationship with the wider world. He shows how the United States and Britain were initially complicit in Darfur--but also how a broad coalition of human-rights activists, right-wing Christians, and opponents of slavery succeeded in bringing the issues to prominence in the United States and creating an impetus for change at the highest level.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

This accessible, informative book details and dissects the recent descent into chaos of Darfur and Sudan. Cockett, Africa editor for The Economist, uses Sudan's history under British rule and interviews with UN and other officials (including former members of the feared janjaweed) to present the deeply disturbing account of the 300,000 people who died and the three million who were driven from their homes. Cockett explains the geographical, political, and ethnic divide between Khartoum in the north, the home of the government and the wealthy and educated elite, and Darfur, 750 miles to the west, rich in oil but deliberately underdeveloped and plagued by devastating droughts. Khartoum politicians chose to "divide and rule" in order to gain land, forcing people out and ordering the janjaweed to destroy villages and kill inhabitants. Cockett maintains that the west shares the blame for these atrocities through a combination of misguided meddling and a lack of interest. Numerous maps and an impressive bibliography add credibility to this fine work. (July) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Choice Review

The referendum on the south of Sudan to separate from the north scheduled for January 2011, so it is fortunate to have this informative general account of Africa's largest and potentially richest country. Cockett, a historian with a PhD from University College, London, knows the material well, and as a writer for The Economist, he knows how to present it in an engaging fashion. Although the book's subtitle singles out Darfur, the text encompasses the entire country, starting in the modern era with the 19th-century Mahdist uprising against the Ottomans through the succeeding, disastrous Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, which set the stage for the dysfunctional politics of independence. A serious look at the two civil wars between the north and south precedes a detailed account of Darfur. Each contemporary concern is enlivened by the author's personal reflections or those of informants. Except for some cavalier uses of terms such as "tribe," "animists," and "genocide," the book is well worth the attention of those who want to know more about the Sudan's past, present, and likely future. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. W. Arens Stony Brook University

Acknowledgements	p. vii
List of Illustrations	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Chapter 1 The One-City State	p. 6
Chapter 2 Populists and Civil War, 1956-89	p. 56
Chapter 3 The National Islamic Front and Turabi in Power, 1989-2000	p. 96
Chapter 4 Sudan and the West: slavery, conscience and al-Qaeda	p. 143
Chapter 5 Darfur: how the killing was allowed to happen	p. 168
Chapter 6 Darfur: the vortex	p. 211
Chapter 7 Surviving in the North, Failing in the South	p. 250
Afterword	p. 289
Notes	p. 300
Select Bibliography	p. 304
Index	p. 307

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Summary

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Choice Review

Table of Contents