A Single Raised Hand: Prospects for Peace in the Sudanese Rivalry

Abstract

Interstate rivalry develops as a series of steps, each raising the likelihood that states will use violence to settle disputes. Why rivals are born feuding presents a major gap in our understanding of rivalry. The Sudanese rivalry provides the chance to study rivalry together with state birth. To disentangle issues at stake, the African Union must provide the capacity and security guarantees for rivalry de-escalation. Recent violence in South Sudan is shaped by the rivalry with Sudan, and because we see similar issues throughout Africa, the African Union must learn from the Sudanese rivalry and step in before it and other budding rivalries entrench.