This book is an attempt to respond to the need for a comprehensive account on how the interplay of actions of political elites, state marginalization, and external actors and forces contributes to the processes of insurgency formation. It begins by reviewing the major theoretical currents used to explain the origins of civil wars. The study then analyzes the two insurgencies in southern Sudan, which have been among the longest, most devastating, and complex rebellions in Africa since decolonization.
