Sudan vs. Sudan. Conflict, Peace and Oil

In the recent months events in South Sudan and Sudan have led many people to ask whether the two countries are at war or peace, and how peaceful each of them is internally. The two countries' armies have clashed directly and cross-border incursions have recurred. People (civilians and combatants) have been killed and injured in violence, and the economy of each country has begun to stagnate or contract, together causing a mounting toll of suffering and loss of life. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the past 50 years of conflict between the two Sudans, and, more important, an analysis of the most important conflict drivers for this new tense situation. The article will present some key internal challenges for both states which are more important for a future long-standing peace than the oil sharing revenues or the shared national debt. Not least, this article will criticize the CPA, which it was considered a great achievement but in the last seven years it created a lot of problems due to its abstract construction.