Conflict Defines Origins: Identity Transformations of Sudanese Refugees in Cairo

This study explores the effects of conflict on the identities of Sudanese refugees back in Sudan and then in Cairo, namely the experience of ambiguous, ambivalent, and conflicting identities. The conflict in Sudan caused multiple ruptures to the refugees' previously established identities. In Egypt, they come into contact and conflict with the host community, organizations, and fellow Sudanese from different regions or ethnic backgrounds, which creates tensions in religious, tribal, or ethnic identities. Such identity issues were manifested in extreme form during the tragic 2005 Sudanese refugee sit-in. The conclusion sheds light on implications for conflict resolution.