ABSTRACT
In Sudan, both law and common discourse focus on nationality ( jinsiya in Arabic) rather than on citizenship ( muwatana ). Yet these two terms are often used interchangeably, even though compared with nationality, citizenship has a precise legal definition that provides access to specific rights. Citizenship is closely linked to the concept of rights as defined by national and international law, while nationality is a more ambiguous term which is closely associated with subjective understandings of community. Nationality is often defined and used more broadly, with reference to origin and to membership of a culturally defined community (Assal 2011 ), and may refer to membership of an ethno-national group that need not be established as an independent state (Bauböck 2006 ).
