The Sudan Conflict
Centre for Foreign Relations (CFR)
Postgraduate Diploma in Management of Foreign Relations- Evening Program
Course: IR 307: Conflict Resolution
Lecturer: Amb.Dr. Mohammed Omar Maundi Ms. Simwana Said
Student: Stephen Chacha
Reg #: CFR/PGD-MFR/248/2010
QUESTION:
Select a conflict, historical or current, and explain its typology, its source, the parties involved and the attempts made to prevent, to manage and to resolve it.
Conflict selected: The Sudan Conflict
Before we embark on analyzing the conflict in Sudan it would be wise to first familiarize ourselves with the concept of conflict and its definition.
Conflict can simply be defines as a dispute, disagreement, misunderstanding, differing opinions amongst or between parties on specific issues, interests, objectives or/and ends.
Daniel Webster defines conflict as: competitive or opposing action of incompatibles; antagonistic state or action (as of divergent ideas, interests or person); struggle resulting from incompatible needs, drives, wishes or demands; hostile encounter. He summarized that, conflict exists when two or more competing responses or courses of action to a single event are considered. Conflict does not necessarily imply hostility, although hostility can certainly become part of the situation.
Moreover conflict can be defined as a disagreement through which the parties involved perceive a threat to their needs, interests or concerns. Within this simple definition there are several important understandings that emerge:
Disagreement - Generally, we are aware there is some level of difference in the positions of the two (or more) parties involved in the conflict. But the true disagreement versus the perceived disagreement may be quite different from one another. In fact, conflict tends to be accompanied by significant levels of misunderstanding that exaggerate the perceived disagreement considerably. If we can understand the true areas of disagreement,
Postgraduate Diploma in Management of Foreign Relations- Evening Program
Course: IR 307: Conflict Resolution
Lecturer: Amb.Dr. Mohammed Omar Maundi Ms. Simwana Said
Student: Stephen Chacha
Reg #: CFR/PGD-MFR/248/2010
QUESTION:
Select a conflict, historical or current, and explain its typology, its source, the parties involved and the attempts made to prevent, to manage and to resolve it.
Conflict selected: The Sudan Conflict
Before we embark on analyzing the conflict in Sudan it would be wise to first familiarize ourselves with the concept of conflict and its definition.
Conflict can simply be defines as a dispute, disagreement, misunderstanding, differing opinions amongst or between parties on specific issues, interests, objectives or/and ends.
Daniel Webster defines conflict as: competitive or opposing action of incompatibles; antagonistic state or action (as of divergent ideas, interests or person); struggle resulting from incompatible needs, drives, wishes or demands; hostile encounter. He summarized that, conflict exists when two or more competing responses or courses of action to a single event are considered. Conflict does not necessarily imply hostility, although hostility can certainly become part of the situation.
Moreover conflict can be defined as a disagreement through which the parties involved perceive a threat to their needs, interests or concerns. Within this simple definition there are several important understandings that emerge:
Disagreement - Generally, we are aware there is some level of difference in the positions of the two (or more) parties involved in the conflict. But the true disagreement versus the perceived disagreement may be quite different from one another. In fact, conflict tends to be accompanied by significant levels of misunderstanding that exaggerate the perceived disagreement considerably. If we can understand the true areas of disagreement,
References: "Sudan state poll results 'credible ': Carter Centre". 19 May 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2011. Thembisa Fakude. "A lesson for Africa? – In Depth". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 5 July 2011. The Carter Center (3 January 2011). "Carter and Kofi Annan – Referendum on Self-Determination of Southern Sudan". Cartercenter.org. Retrieved 30 June 2011. Stockman, Farah (10 January 2011). "Kerry hails peaceful independence vote in southern Sudan – The Boston Globe". Boston Globe. Retrieved 30 June 2011. Arrival Statement of the African Union Observer Mission to the Southern Sudan Referendum. | African Union". Au.int. Retrieved 31 January 2011. Omar al-Saleh (9 January 2011). "Mixed feelings in Darfur | Al Jazeera Blogs". Blogs.aljazeera.net. Retrieved 10 July 2011. "Sudan after the referendum: a test case for Africa". CSMonitor.com. 9 February 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2011 "South Sudan chosen as name for new country". BBC News.com. 16 July 2011. www. Wikipedia.com