Blaue Reihe - Deutsche Gesellschaft für die Vereinten Nationen eV

Oil: Blessing or curse?
Oil has been a curse for Sudan as it was one of the reasons for decades of civil war between the
northern Sudanese government in Khartoum and the SPLA in the South. The second civil war,
which lasted from 1983 until 2005, may have claimed two million lives and displaced four million
people.
International human rights organizations have accused the government of the North of having used
oil earnings to finance the means to fuel the conflict in Darfur, including attacks with fighter jets and
helicopters, and to commit human rights abuses and mass displacement of civilians near exploration
fields.
However, oil has also been a blessing. Without it the GoSS would have no means and would be
extremely dependent on aid from foreign donors. The Northern government would also have to
struggle to keep the state running. Furthermore, in the course of oil exploration a lot of infrastructure
has been built that can also be used by civilians, such as roads.
It is likely that oil will be the cause for additional North-South disputes. However, it seems as if oil
is rather forcing both parties to find agreements rather than going to war against each other again.
None of them can afford the oil to stop flowing even for a single day.
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