Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris ECOLE DOCTORALE DE SCIENCES PO Programme doctoral Relations internationales Centre d’Études et de Recherches Internationales (CERI) Doctorat de Science politique, spécialisation Relations internationales The Internationalization of the Sudanese conflicts: from South Sudan to Darfur Agenda setting, mobilization and qualifications Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert Thèse dirigée par Bertrand Badie, Professeur des Universités (IEP de Paris) Soutenue le 1er octobre 2010 Jury: M. Bertrand Badie, Professeur des universités à l’IEP de Paris M. Atta El-Battahani, Professeur à l’Université de Khartoum M. Peter Burgess, Professeur à Norwegian University of Technology and Science (rapporteur) M. Frédéric Ramel, Professeur des universités à l’Université Paris-XI (rapporteur) M. Ghassan Salamé, Professeur des universités à l’IEP de Paris 2 Acknowledgments The project of this doctoral work started four years ago, and it has been an exceptional adventure in many regards, humanly speaking and intellectually speaking. The final result would not have been possible without the help of a number of people, to only some of whom it is possible to give particular mention here. First of all, I would like to address my most sincere expression of gratitude to Pr. Bertrand Badie, for accepting to supervise this research and for his endless encouragements throughout these years. It has been a great privilege to conduct my research in collaboration with a professor of his stature, who not only inspired me to pursue my studies in the field of International relations during one of my first years at Sciences Po in Paris, but who continues to inspire me with his way of understanding the complex, but fascinating world we live in. His insightful remarks and comments have been of great help in my work. I am also sincerely grateful to the members of my thesis defense jury for accepting the task to read through my work, and for some, to have accepted to travel from afar. The experience gained through this doctoral work is especially marked by my different stays in Sudan, in the United States and in Norway, where I carried out interviews. I will start with where my own journey began, before I came to study at Sciences Po eight years ago: that is in Oslo. First of all, I would like to thank NUPI and its administrative and research staff for providing me with a place to work during my longest stay in Oslo in the fall of 2007 and for the numerous fruitful discussions I had with different colleagues there. A special thanks to Iver B. Neuman who introduced me to NUPI in the first place, and who have always encouraged me in my research. I am also sincerely thankful to Jan Egeland, the now director of NUPI and former UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, having followed closely and also contributed to the international emergence of the Darfur crisis, for having shared his experience from this time with me. I would also like to thank Erik Solheim, Norwegian Minister for Environment and International Development, for interesting exchanges on Sudan and for introducing me to the Norwegian diplomatic team in Khartoum. My former colleague at UNESCO, Ambassador Tanja H. Storm, has also been of great help in introducing me to key actors having worked on Sudan in Norway, and her encouragements have been greatly appreciated. Lastly, my expression of thanks to Kjell Hødnebø, Sudan scholar and senior consultant at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who gave much of his time to explain the special Sudan-Norway relationship to me, a passionating story I was little aware of before embarking on this research project. The opportunity to discover Sudan under its different facets has perhaps been the most rewarding experience during these four years. Many people have helped me, not only in facilitating my stays and showing me around, but in helping me to better understand Sudanese politics, culture and society. I would like to start by addressing my deepest expression of thanks to our dear friend Othman Moubarak, driver for the Khartoum branch of the Cedej for many years and a precious guide for all the researchers having stayed at the Cedej, who is no Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert – The Internationalization of the Sudanese Conflicts – Thèse IEP de Paris – 2010 2 longer among us. My stays in Khartoum would definitely not have been the same without him. My stays in Sudan would not have been possible without the precious help and assistance provided by the Khartoum branch of the Cedej and the French Embassy in Khartoum. More specifically, I would like to address a special thanks to Barbara Casciarri, the former coordinator of the Cedej branch, for her help, useful advice and encouragements, as well as for hosting me at her home when needed. I am thankful as well to Cedej colleagues Agnès de Geoffroy and François Ireton for providing me with valuable tips and advice on how to best approach the Sudanese ”field”, and the other visiting researchers I have met during each of my stays for many interesting exchanges. Lastly, I would like to thank Gérard Roso, who also generously let me stay at his place during one of my stays. My stay in New York in the spring of 2008 provided me with the possibility to better understand the special US political and civil engagement for Sudan. Being a visiting scholar at Columbia University, thanks to the grant provided by the Alliance Program, was a unique possibility in this respect, and I would like to address a special thanks to Vanessa Scherrer and Marie-Zenaïde Jolys for all their help in facilitating my stay. All in all, I am deeply grateful to all those who were willing to grant me their time, through interviews, informal exchanges, and discussions, whether in Paris, Khartoum, Juba, New York, Washington, Oslo or Bergen. In Paris, I would like to address a special thanks to Roland Marchal, for his always useful advice, the time he took to read through consistent parts of the thesis, and lastly for always sharing his many passionating anecdotes on Sudan. I am also grateful to Janet Roitman and Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos for having commented on early drafts of my research project, and for having provided me with useful advice on how to better approach my object of interest. Thanks also to my good friends at the research library of Sciences Po, for a socially and intellectually stimulating environment, the past few years would not have been the same without them. A special thanks also to my dear friends and family, Marc Jumbert, Marianne Krey-Jacobsen, Jennifer Leschevin de Prévoisin and Vilborg Matre for having read through consistent parts of the thesis and shared their comments and corrections on the last draft. It is greatly appreciated. Thanks also to all my good friends and family who have incessantly encouraged me in this project. I am deeply grateful to Vilborg Matre and Odd Stokke Gabrielsen, who, besides being the most wonderful and encouraging parents, are also familiar with the formidable task it is to complete a doctoral work, and thus have provided me with many insightful pieces of advice. And to my sister Ingvild, for always cheering me up and believing in me. Last, but certainly not the least, I want to thank my husband and also best friend Marc Jumbert, who has followed this project since its initiation, and and has greatly contributed to it through our many discussions, with ideas, remarks and clever advice: this work would not have been the same without him and his support. Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert Paris, July 13, 2010 3 Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert – The Internationalization of the Sudanese Conflicts – Thèse IEP de Paris – 2010 SUMMARY Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................2 Acronyms..........................................................................................................................6 Introduction......................................................................................................................7 First Part. Internationalization of Sudan’s internal conflicts: how societies seize, qualify and project an issue on the world arena .................................................... 64 Chapter I - Internationalization as a norm: social entrepreneurs setting the Sudanese conflicts on the agenda ...................................................................................................67 A - Internationalization as agenda-building: how NGOs in the field, international media, opinion leaders and the public seek to set the agenda of governments and the United Nations.......................68 B - Internationalization as a norm: on the ‘oughtness’ to internationalize conflicts in order to bring them to an end.........................................................................................................................................89 Chapter II – From the first alerts to a place on the international agenda: the role played by timing, framing and activist strategies........................................................109 A - The first alerts: how the conflict in South Sudan and in Darfur first emerged under the international spotlight ..........................................................................................................................110 B - Exploring the strategies of the Darfur activists: mobilizing and framing the issue.....................120 C - How solidarity with a distant population emerges: from specific identification to a