Sudan’s decades-long history of civil unrest has been bloody and heartbreaking. Since achieving independence in 1956, Sudan has spent over a half-century engulfed in coups, civil wars, and bloody internecine conflict. The second civil war from 1983-2005, often characterized as a conflict between the Islamic north and the Christian animist south, did ultimately result in South Sudan’s independence in 2011. But the factors and actors involved in igniting and sustaining a war that cost the lives and livelihoods of over six million Sudanese, cannot be easily known.
Authors from across the world have published extraordinary works that have not only analyzed the dynamics of Sudan’s wars but also documented the human cost. Here are three of the top books from the list of best books about civil war in Sudan that provide an in-depth understanding of the endless drama of civil war in Sudan.
3 Best Books About Civil War in Sudan
1. Women Caught in the Crossfire: Best Book on Survival and Resilience
Women Caught in the Crossfire is a soul-stirring, first-person memoir written by the female refugee and war survivor herself, Abuk Jervas Makuac. Forced to flee her homeland at the start of the Second Civil War, her story charts the course of a middle-class woman of means who is suddenly reduced to grinding corn with her bare hands, building huts out of fetid mud, running barefoot through the African bush to save the life of her young son. She forges survival in the community with other women in the worst of circumstances and ultimately becomes a principal actor in the women’s peace movement in South Sudan.
There is much to learn from Abuk’s memoir. The story of this book on survival and resilience offers a front-row seat for the reader to witness trauma, resilience, and the power of the human spirit to not only survive and rebuild but also to change the world. As Ms. Makuac herself says, “I am writing a book that will be here even after I leave this world. It is a teaching book. People will read it, and they will feel what suffering from war can do to a people. They will tell the ones who are fighting to stop.”
Women Caught in the Crossfire is a powerful chronicle of female resilience, a firsthand account of the countless women who fought not only for themselves but also for the life of their nation. This book on survival and resilience is available on Kindle and can also be purchased on paper or hardback.
2. South Sudan’s Civil War by John Young
South Sudan’s Civil War is a marvelous product of John Young, an author whose time revolved around the research on peace, governance, federalism, security, conflict, elections and more. His research has been based mostly on the Horn of Africa since 1986. Today, he takes more interest in Sudan’s peace and security.
South Sudan’s Civil War presents a clear picture of the war, how it started, and what caused it. Readers will learn that after 2 years of independence, South Sudan was pushed into a violent civil war by the US. The writer has also mentioned the critical state of Sudan and exposed how South Sudan was in a crisis before the war. This amazing book stands out among all the best books about civil war in Sudan.
3. The Root Causes of the Sudan Civil War by Douglas H. Johnson
The Root Causes of the Sudan Civil War is penned by Douglas Hamilton, a fellow of the Rift Valley Institute, who has also co-authored a history dictionary of South Sudan. The author dedicates his time to researching the history of South Sudan and North East Africa and is currently working on a book comprising details of the Juba Conferences of 1947 and 1954.
This book includes the secrets and other reasons for the civil war that started in 1960 till the present day. It encapsulates how every single person in Sudan, the elderly, Arabs, or even Africans, was a victim of the war. Moreover, the book also offers a deep analysis of political, historical, economic, and other social factors, as well as the reason it emerges in the collection of best books about civil war in Sudan.
3 Books about Civil War in Africa
Since the South Sudanese war extended to Africa itself, many survivors have told their stories as a mark of the problems and difficulties they had to face. Here are some of the deepest and most authentic books about civil war in Africa, explaining the ongoing of the African War:
1. Civil Wars in Africa: Roots and Resolutions
Civil Wars in Africa: Roots and Resolutions is co-authored by Taisier M. Ali and Robert O. Matthews. The story revolves around John Kiyaga-Nsubuga, a man who focuses on national resistance in a fight to bring peace to Uganda. The writers have worked as a team, one studying the political problems, while the other one studied the ethnic roots of the civil war in Rwanda, to bring this book to life. One exceptional point of this book is the conflict between the authors themselves. The two of them have argued that forty years of Sudan conflict is more expensive than the pitting of Arab, Islamic North against the Africans and the Christians. Their rich narratives highlight this literary work in books about civil war in Africa.
2. Civil Wars in African States: The Search for Security
Ian S. Spears, an associate professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph, wrote Civil Wars in African States: The Search of Security to offer a fresh perspective on the violent war in Africa. Spears closely examines the roots and dynamics of the war in Somalia, Angola, and Ethiopia. He focuses on the security predicaments of the disputants themselves in the book and challenges the pre-existing notions regarding the nature of conflict and resolution in post-conflict societies. Books about civil war in Africa, like this masterpiece by Ian, are beacons for historical literature.
3. The War of Africa
The War of Africa: Twelve Months that Transformed a Continent is a brilliant take on the African Civil War written by Fred Bridgland. The best books about civil war in Africa, like this one, primarily describe the Angolan Civil War, which lasted from 1975 to 2002. Unlike other state wars, this was a Cold War that involved the Soviet Union, South Africa, the USA and more. Learn more about what happened by getting the book from Kindle.
Conclusion
Knowing world history is important, especially when it comes to wars, violence and the destruction of human life. From the best books about civil war in Sudan to books about civil war in Africa, these authors have done exceptional work in drawing a true picture of both the trajectories and tragedies of war in Africa, especially in Sudan. Take a pick from any of the above-mentioned books or memoir books to read; each one is a great read!
Sudan’s decades-long history of civil unrest has been bloody and heartbreaking. Since achieving independence in 1956, Sudan has spent over a half-century engulfed in coups, civil wars, and bloody internecine conflict.
The second civil war from 1983-2005, often characterized as a conflict between the Islamic north and the Christian animist south, did ultimately result in South Sudan’s independence in 2011. But the factors and actors involved in igniting and sustaining a war that cost the lives and livelihoods of over six million Sudanese, cannot be easily known.
Authors from across the world have published extraordinary works that have not only analyzed the dynamics of Sudan’s wars but also documented the human cost. Here are three of the top books from the list of best books about civil war in Sudan that provide an in-depth understanding of the endless drama of civil war in Sudan.