Do you wonder why wars happen?
In January 2011, after two civil wars, 98.83% of the population of Southern Sudan voted to separate from the North.
Six months later, South Sudan became the youngest sovereign country in the world and the 193rd member of the United Nations. But independence has not brought an end to division and violence. Inter-ethnic civil war has continued in South Sudan and the North is by no means peaceful.
It would be easy to define today's violence in terms of elite politics and ethnic rivalry. Yet its origins stretch back into past centuries. And much of Sudanese history has been about intervention and domination by foreigners.
By telling the stories of some of these outsiders, Divided by History digs out the historical roots of Sudanese conflicts, from domination by ancient Egypt, through Turco-Egyptian exploitation, the Mahdist revolt and control by colonialist Britain, to Sudan's and now South Sudan's independence.
In this compact book, you will meet:
Along the way, the author demonstrates the difficulty of escaping from our past and the importance of understanding it.