The future of Sudan is uncertain due to the violence that has occurred in recent years. Colonialism has left its mark on the country mainly because, according to Tomar (2004), since Sudan gained independence from Britain in 1956, Sudan's politics have been dominated by military regimes in favor of Islamic-oriented governments. At the time, the new government sought to transform the political system that worked for the English into one that served an ethnically diverse country. Sudan is Africa's largest country in terms of surface area with an estimated population of approximately 39 million. it is one of the most diverse on the African continent according to the Bureau of African Affairs (2011). Arab Muslims make up about 70% of the population who have settled mainly in the north, followed by those Africans who have remained in the south – these are people with indigenous beliefs who comprise about 25% of the population and Christians, 5% ( Tomar, 2004 ). Sudan's main problem is that no matter how well the government and the minority Christian party resolved their problems, the minority party would continue to feel as if the current system was working against them. Because of this the Sudanese conflict arises. The Sudanese conflict is known to be the longest civil war in Africa. Sudan has been at war with itself for more than three quarters. The Bureau of African Affairs (2011) stated that, since the country's independence, the prolonged conflict has been rooted in cultural and religious differences that have slowed Sudan's economic and political development and forced the massive displacement of its population. The northern Sudanese, who traditionally controlled the country, sought to unify Sudan through Islamiza... half of the document... 11). Sudan. Retrieved September 20, 2011, from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/sudan/index.htmlAll Africa Global Media. (2011). Sudan: civil war in the North?. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from http://allafrica.com/stories/201110080055.htmlBureau of African Affairs. (2011). Base note: Sudan. Retrieved October 12, 2011, from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5424.htm Copnall, James. (2009). Sudan's oil revenue 'discrepancy'. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8240996.stmJean Jacques Rousseau. The Social Contract John Locke. Two government treatisesMontesquieu. The Spirit of the LawsThomas Hobbes. Leviathan Tomar, Ravi. (2004). The crisis in Sudan: problems and prospects. Retrieved September 20, 2011, from http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rb/2004-05/05rb08.htm#back