Document Type : Original Article
Author
Faculty of Arts - Beni Suef University - Department of Geography and Geographical Information Systems
Abstract
State fragility is one of the most important challenges facing states, as it undermines their functions, contributes to long-term security threats, and imposes serious repercussions on the state and its geographical neighborhood, from political, social and economic instability.
State fragility indicators are very important tools and a warning bell for states to prevent them from falling into failure and then collapse. The study identified fourteen global quantitative indicators to measure state fragility, all of which were applied to the Sudanese state. The study included 26 tables and 33 figures to measure state fragility in Sudan from a Political Geography perspective.
The study relied on the Political Geography perspective to understand the fragility of the state in Sudan, as it devoted an entire section to studying the natural geographical factors affecting the fragility of the Sudanese state, represented in studying the location and its spatial relations, geological structure, terrain, climate and its changes, area, and shape, in addition to studying the human factors, which are represented in the population in terms of size, deaths, the relationship between population and area, population decline, population density, and ethnic composition with its three ethnic, linguistic, and religious data, in addition to the economic factors in terms of the gross domestic product, agriculture and food resources, industry, trade and foreign investments, energy sources, transportation and communications, and it also studied the political factors leading to the fragility of the Sudanese state, represented in democracy and political participation, freedoms, corruption and political stability, and the repercussions of the secession of Sudan on the fragility of the state in Sudan.
The study concluded that the Sudanese state is currently in a fragile state and has begun the process of sliding into a failed state, as the state is replete with all the factors of failure, as the state lacks both the monopoly of legitimate violence, and the functional authority necessary to provide basic security within its borders, and its inability to ensure the security of its borders and sovereign local territories, as it is characterized by ethnic conflicts, armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, and economic collapse, and the authority, legitimacy, and capacity of the government no longer extends to all parts of the state, but has instead become limited to specific regions or groups.
The Sudanese state lacks the institutional capacity to provide the basic social needs of its population, as well as the legitimacy necessary to effectively represent its citizens at home and abroad, and the state has become vulnerable to failure due to its limited ability to govern, economic stagnation, and the state suffers from a lack of resources and a decline in the development of local capabilities.
The fragility of the Sudanese state has serious repercussions on the state, represented by the increase in the rate of armed conflicts, chronic human displacement, general insecurity, economic collapse, in addition to its repercussions on its geographical neighbors, represented by asylum, the spread of cross-border organized crimes such as human trafficking, arms and drugs, and illegal trade, and fueling the destabilization of the already troubled region.
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