The government of Sudan and southern rebels signed a peace agreement last weekend. The deal could end one of Africa's longest civil wars. While hopes are high, there are many reasons to be cautious. The history of this conflict is fraught with agreements that have been betrayed.
More ominously, fighting continues in the Darfur region of the western part of the country. Sudan is unlikely to know real peace until the entire country has been pacified.
The roots of the Sudanese conflict are deep. Since the country gained independence in 1956, it has been governed by Arab-dominated elites. Yet the Sudanese people are divided between Arabs (usually Muslim) and Africans, who are Christian or hold traditional animistic beliefs.