The disruption of oil exports from South Sudan after one of its key oil pipelines to international markets was damaged in February could further escalate already acute level of violence and in security in the country, experts have warned.
South Sudan depends on its northern neighbor Sudan to export its oil, but Khartoum has recently admitted that it cannot guarantee the smooth export, as a year of war has made it difficult to maintain or even protect the pipeline to Port Sudan. The February incident happened in Sudan’s White Nile state, which is controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), prompting the Dar Petroleum Oil Company to suspend loadings. The ongoing fighting has prevented a team of technical experts to fix the pipeline, raising fears that South Sudan’s political economy could collapse.
The RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces have been fighting for more than a year following a disagreement over the country’s transitional future.
Here is the abstract of a relevant article from 2016 that briefly explains how British colonialism impacted this area:
Civil War in South Sudan: Is It a Reflection of Historical Secessionist and Natural Resource Wars in “Greater Sudan”?
Thanks, that article looks interesting.
Yeah the demented British colonial plan of “let’s split it into two areas, govern one in Arabic with Sharia law and the other one as a Christian nation, and then treat it as one country at Independence” was yet another example of the legacy of colonialism casting a long shadow.
If you ever want a deep dive I’d recommend Sudan: Race Religion and Violence by Jok Madut Jok.