The literature on nomadism shows that nomadic and sedentary modes of production complement each other. The interaction between them is characterized by both complementarity and conflict, depending on the prevalent circumstances that vary according to the ecological conditions of the environment that supports their subsistence base. The movement of people between these two modes of production has also been documented, particularly in Western Sudan where circumstances are favourable. Using examples from Western Sudan, this article argues that external factors such as state policies and internationalization are the cause of conflicts between nomads and sedentary people that we see today. Due to external factors, the complementary linkage has become one of conflict. We need to shift our anthropological work to a more expeditious analysis in which the forms and outcomes of the interaction between farmers and nomads at any point in time are seen as the product of the total social system in which they live, rather than a particular aspect of it.
