A Lethal Mirage: How Identity "Hallucinations" Set Sudan Ablaze
This article examines how constructed identity narratives of “Arab” and “African” in Sudan—rooted in culture, language, and politics rather than race—have been transformed into instruments of power, exclusion, and mass violence. Tracing the historical coexistence of Sudanese communities and the later politicization of identity by the modern state, the study shows how marginalization in regions such as Darfur was reframed through ethnic labels. The militarization of these narratives, particularly through the Janjaweed and their successor, the Rapid Support Forces, turned identity into a mechanism of war. External interventions further hardened these divisions, producing one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. The Sudanese case demonstrates that identity, while socially constructed, can become lethally real when mobilized for political and geopolitical ends.
