The communities living on the South Sudan-Sudan border may face genocide if the conflict between the two countries disputing control of oil reserves is not resolved.
There have been recent clashes between the Sudanese army, Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N) in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, as well as fighting between communities along the border. Southern Kordofan lies south of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum and borders the war-ravaged region of Darfur to the west. Blue Nile state lies south east of Khartoum and borders Ethiopia to the east.
“One day the communities on the border may end up either facing genocide or there may be a very heavy war as the governments in both countries do not value the lives of the people but the resources they are sitting on. These resources will undermine the value of the lives of human beings,” Edmund Yakani, the coordinator for the local NGO Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), told IPS.
Tensions are high as the country of Sudan fights the North versus the South over land containing oil. Currently 98 percent of South Sudan’s revenue comes from oil, which makes it of great importance to the people. Debates over oil rights will mean a lot to the country considering that food insecurity for it’s people has risen form 3.3 million to 4.7 million. Citizens worry that no value is being given to the lives of the people but solely to the resources they have. It seems that while little concern is being expressed for the people caught in the cross fire there is much being said about the oil. Different oil companies are claiming the rights to the oil and government officials can be seen in the mix vying for the rights to dispense the oil to different companies. Sudan is now stepping up to the plate with plans to take care of it’s own and reducing it’s dependence on oil. They plan to reduce government expenditures because currently South Sudan oil production has come to a halt.
Title: Oil Brings New Friction To Sudan and South Sudan
Author: Jared Ferrie
Publication: Inter Press Service News Agency, 14 February 2012
Title: Oil Conflict Threatens to Break Out
Author: Charlton Doki
Publication: Inter Press Service News Agency, 3 October 2011
Evaluator: Mary Berelson, Teacher Truckee California
Student Researcher: Carmen McCarthy, Sonoma State University