As Africa prepares to welcome the birth of a new country, military tensions have been on the rise among the new Joint Integerated Units (JIUs) deployed to the volatile town of Abyei during the last couple of days as northern Sudan JIU elements reject any attempt to relocate them northward. - The agreement that was signed last month between the Federal Minister of Interiors and the south Sudanese minister of interiors stipulated the replacement of south Sudanese police units deployed to the north of Abyei with two joint battalions from the south and the north. During this week, the town's main market has witnessed heavy military presence as big numbers of troops were brought in last m…

The Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) began to transport its troops to Abyei. The agreement that was signed January 17th, 2010 by Eng. Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid, the federal minister of interior and lieutenant-General Giir Chuang, the minister of Internal Affairs in the Government of Southern Sudan, stipulated that two more joint battalions be deployed to the area. - Last Monday, the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) began transporting SPLA troops to Abyei. Numbers of UN trucks were seen carrying SPLA troops to the northern parts of the area. The agreement also stipulated the necessity of opening all the roads in front of south Sudanese IDPs returning to their homes. The meeting that …

Current political developments in Sudan have lately begun to bring massive economic upheavals to a country that had long been undergoing slow recovery. During the last couple of months, officials in Khartoum began to adopt a remarkably new economic strategy that would help the country survive possible economic downturns. - Prices of necessary goods began to rise sharply as southern Sudan's referendum approached. Sudan's economy, which is largely dependent on south Sudan oil revenues, is therefore at threat of collapse. Many economists believe the north has no other resources to be used as substitute for oil if the south decides to break away. Sudan, previously seen as poten…

As people in southern Sudan continue voting in their referendum, symptoms of disappointment became obviously noticeable among the people of Abyei whose referendum has been postponed due to disagreement between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the National Congress Party (NCP) over voter eligibility in the area. - For the last couple of days, economic conditions witnessed clear deterioration as necessary goods became scarce; and food items prices rose sharply. The main market in Abyei has undergone clear changes as north Sudanese traders began to flock northward due to fears of violence break out. Yet, no one knows what the future may bear, although the general outlook t…

The southern Sudan referendum counting process has started after voting ended. Election officials will keep declaring preliminary results until final results are officially announced on February 7th, 2011. External voting centres in Great Britain, Canada and the US have recently started counting, with reports saying that the majority of votes favour secession. - Many local, regional and international organizations are monitoring this process. The Carter Center-an organization founded by the former US president Jimmy Carter-is also monitoring this referendum. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed on January 9th, 2005 stipulates that two separate referenda should take place in sou…

- Maiwen Dot Pheot - AfricaNews - Khartoum. September 30, 2010. The Sudanese Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Lual Achwel Deng, stated that there is still a possibility of returning to war. Speaking in a political symposium organized by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-Students League at the University of Juba, the official reiterated the importance of holding South Sudan's referendum on time in order to avoid further conflicts in the region. Dr. Achwel stressed the importance of maintaining peace in the region; regardless of the results of the upcoming referendum that may lead to the secession of the South from the North. The South Sudanese minister said he will vote for uni…

- Maiwen Dot Pheot - AfricaNews- Khartoum The US president Barack Obama is attending a conference held by the UN on Sudan in New York on Friday. The conference will discuss issues relating to South-North peace implementation, South Sudan's referendum and the conflict in Darfur. According to analysts, Obama will urge the two parties, the National Congress Party and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, to fully implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The first vice president of the Republic of the Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, will attend the meeting along with the vice president Ali Osman Mohamed Taha. The two signatory parties to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) w…