Other identities: Politics of Sudanese discursive narratives

Most Sudanese authors who have written about the nationality question in the Sudan have been personally involved in Sudanese politics, have held political offices, or have become advocates for the cause of one or another political liberation front. This unique position makes their contributions to the debate on ethnicity and nationalism not only tense, but also means that these writings contain influential political messages. This paper examines the works by major Sudanese authors who have contributed discursive narratives that express their individual political sentiments and simultaneously those of the ethnic groups to which they belong. It then assesses the impact of this committed agency on the construction and deconstruction of Sudan history and the subsequent use of the meaning of history in the struggle for defining the essential elements of a Sudanese national identity.

Key words:

• Narratives
• Identity
• Ethnicity
• Nationalism
• Politics of meaning