ABSTRACT
Throughout the several stages of Sudan's colonisation and independence, various forms and levels of exclusion and marginalisation of certain groups have been put in place, aiming at establishing a different pattern of development and growth between the North and the South of the country. As a consequence, "academic studies of Sudan have been nearly as deeply affected by the divisions of the country as are Sudanese themselves with ethnicity and religion always taken for granted". However, Sudan's history and conflicts are far more complex and diverse than may appear. This diversity makes it difficult to explain the long-lasting North-South conflict in simple ethnic, religious or cultural terms. The development and evolution of governments is considered to have been one of the most consistent influences on the definition of economic, political and ultimately social relations within the Sudan. The way in which certain groups have been mobilised against others has been a common trend in Sudanese political, social and economic history.
