Sudan On the Brink

Al Jazeera English

New satellite images provide evidence that northern Sudanese troops have committed war crimes, including ethnic cleansing, in the contested border town of Abyei where the forces took over more than a week ago, according to an advocacy group. 

The Satellite Sentinel Project said in a statement on Sunday that satellite images by DigitalGlobe show that the Sudanese army burned about one-third of all civilian buildings in the north-south border town, used disproportionate force and indiscriminately targeted civilians.

For those that don't know much about Sudan, ever since gaining independence in 1956 Sudan has fought two bloody civil wars between the largely Arab north Sudan and the African south Sudan. The combined death toll from these wars is estimated to be around 2.5 million people (which doesn't even include the genocide in Darfur). Well in 2005 the two sides agreed to a peace deal that would allow Southern Sudan to vote for its independence from Sudan. In January they held that referendum in which a whopping 98.83% of the population voted for independence. At the time Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said he accepted these results and would allow the succession to take place. Providing an important backdrop to the conflict is the fact that 85% of Sudan's petroleum reserves are located in South Sudan. 


That's where the town of Aybei comes in. Aybei is a province on the border between Sudan and South Sudan, known largely for its large oil reserves. It once accounted for a quarter of Sudan's petroleum reserves, but have since declined. The Greater Nile Oil Pipeline, which transports oil to the Red Sea, also runs through Aybei. Compounding things Aybei is extraordinarily fertile and is a favored spot among local livestock herders. Given the maniacal nature of Omar al-Bashir, the history between the North and South, and the resources at stake in Aybei, it's no wonder they are on the brink of war once again. For a country once known as the "breadbasket of Africa" with large oil reserves, it's a shame that Sudan can't seem to find peace. If it did, the sky would be the limit.