The civil war that has raged intermittently in the Sudan since independence in 1956 is a conflict of contrasting and seemingly incompatible identities in the Northern and Southern parts of the country. Identity is seen as a function of how people identify themselves and are identified by others in terms of race, ethnicity, culture, language, and religion. The identity question relates to how such concepts determine or influence participation and distribution in the political, economic, social, and cultural life of the country.

Pt. 1. Background. 1. Overview of the Conflict -- Pt. 2. Evolution of Identities. 2. Northern Identity: Assimilation. 3. Southern Identity: Resistance -- Pt. 3. Quest for Nationhood. 4. Genesis of Divided Nationalism. 5. Northern Dominance: Colonialism Revisited. 6. The Emerging Southern Identity -- Pt. 4. North-South Microcosm. 7. The Ngok Dinka. 8. Crisis at the Crossroads -- Pt. 5. External Dimension. 9. Dilemmas of External Linkages -- Pt. 6. The Crisis in Perspective. 10. Boundaries of Identity. 11. Perceptions of the Crisis -- 12. Conclusions.