Ninety Nine Mountains, Self Determination and the Secession Off Sudan

The present paper briefly introduces the dilemma of the Nuba nation. They were a median state between the Southern and Northern Sudan. The current situation of Southern secession made them a border state rife with racial, tribal and political conflicts. Secession of Southern Sudan is a de facto situation which has to be dealt with wisdom to avoid future clashed that may escalate. Additionally, the mutual use of resources is inevitable for both sides. The tribal structure in both South and North necessitate establishing new code of dealing with the new situation. The Tribal Civil Administration (TCA) has better communication and accessibility with the people of both sides. The new secession should not bar people from both sides to live, work or rear their livestock in traditional old ways. Thus, it is necessary to strengthen the TCA role in the public relations and diplomacy. Building up and completing previously started governmental infrastructure, e.g., roads, schools, clinics should re-commence. Such measures can strengthen relationships and minimize probabilities of conflicts and future civil war. The available options for the Nuba mountains region as introduced by Southern secession's Juba and Northern Khartoum governments were that the Nuba state joins either one of them. However, the long political, racial and resources aggravations triggered a third choice of separation from both countries and the formation of their own state. That can be a selective choice that may agree with the racial different formations of Arabs, Nuba and Fulani tribes that have their own conflicting loyalties and fears of both the Northern and Southern sides. The paper presents a background to the Nuba tribes' demographic characteristics and then suggests a framework for future analytic work