This book explores the international battle for legitimacy between the Sudanese state and the Southern rebels during the two civil wars. In particular, it examines how racial thought and rhetoric were used in international debates about the political destiny of the South. Offering a discursive and diplomatic history of the wars, the book argues that Sudan’s ‘‘colour line’’ shaped its foreign relations. By placing the state and rebels within the same frame, the book uncovers the competition for Sudan’s reputation in the context of decolonisation and the liberation struggles in southern Africa. It, thus, provides insight into Africa’s international relations during the Cold War. During a period that enabled a broad set of political modalities of signalling credibility and respectability, Sudan’s rebels and governments alike deployed a range of discursive practices in order to influence world opinion. In sum, the book demonstrates that the war of words waged abroad represents a strategic, but often overlooked aspect of Sudan’s civil wars.  weiterlesen