Northampton Electronic Collection of Theses and Research

"Guarding the Guards": the failure of the colonial state to govern police violence in Sudan, ca.1922-1956

Berridge, W. J. (2012) "Guarding the Guards": the failure of the colonial state to govern police violence in Sudan, ca.1922-1956. Northeast African Studies. 12(2), pp. 1-28. 0740-9133.

Item Type: Article
Abstract: This article explores the nature and causes of police violence in Condominium Sudan. It contends that rather than demonstrating the sheer strength of the British colonial state and its distance from Sudanese society, police violence provided evidence of its weakness, its limited technical capacity, and its general social porosity. The British administration was unable or unwilling to develop a systematically regulated and heavily institutionalized police force, and thus struggled to prevent the police being manipulated to serve the interests of particular ethnic, religious, or political factions. The technical fragility and limited resources of the police also placed them in a position where they were forced to employ immediate and physical forms of coercion rather than more pervasive and indirect ones
Subjects: D History General and Old World > DT Africa > DT154.1 Sudan. Anglo-Egyptian Sudan > DT155.3 History
H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology > HV7551 Police. Detectives. Constabulary > HV8130 By region or country > HV8269.3 Sudan
Creators: Berridge, W J
Funders or Sponsors: Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Publisher: Michigan State University Press
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > School of Social Sciences (to 2016)
University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Faculty of Education & Humanities > History
Faculties > Faculty of Education & Humanities > History
Date: 2012
Date Type: Publication
Page Range: pp. 1-28
Journal or Publication Title: Northeast African Studies
Volume: 12
Number: 2
Language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/nas.2012.0050
ISSN: 0740-9133
Status: Published / Disseminated
Refereed: Yes
Related URLs:
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/5677

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