北東アフリカに位置するスーダン共和国はアフリカ大陸最大の国土を有していましたが、30年もの間、北部と南部の間で絶え間なく戦火に見舞われ、危機に瀕していました。しかし、2011年7月9日、南部10州が、アフリカ大陸54番目の国家、南スーダン共和国として分離独立しました。
本書は、米国の元駐スーダン特使で、元国際開発庁長官のアンドリュー・ナシオスが、スーダンについて解説する一冊です。過去25年間に起こった出来事に焦点を当て、北部と南部の紛争の起源、そしてこの不安定な国の複雑な政治に光を当てています。南スーダンの独立後、両国のあいだには緊張関係が残っています。市民権、安全保障、石油管理、富の分配などの問題はすべて未解決のままです。人権問題、特にダルフールでの紛争も未だ継続中で、解決が求められています。歴史的な変化を遂げようとしているスーダンが直面する最も重要な問題について、情報満載でわかりやすく説明しています。
    

• A complete and concise guide to the complex history of the region, including the creation of the independent South Sudan in 2011
• Natsios was US envoy to Sudan from 2006 to 2009, and the USAID representative to Sudan for the years prior
• Covers the sweep of Sudan's history, from civil wars in Darfur through to the recent division of Sudan into two separate countries: Northern Sudan and Southern Sudan

 
For thirty years Sudan has been a country in crisis, wracked by near-constant warfare between the north and the south. But on July 9, 2011, South Sudan became an independent nation. As Sudan once again finds itself the focus of international attention, former special envoy to Sudan and director of USAID Andrew Natsios provides a timely introduction to the country at this pivotal moment in its history. Focusing on the events of the last 25 years, Natsios sheds light on the origins of the conflict between northern and southern Sudan and the complicated politics of this volatile nation. He gives readers a first-hand view of Sudan's past as well as an honest appraisal of its future. In the wake of South Sudan's independence, Natsios explores the tensions that remain on both sides. Issues of citizenship, security, oil management, and wealth-sharing all remain unresolved. Human rights issues, particularly surrounding the ongoing violence in Darfur, likewise still clamor for solutions. Informative and accessible, this book introduces readers to the most central issues facing Sudan as it stands on the brink of historic change.