South sudan: The conflict in neighbouring Sudan has caused the government of South Sudan great concern because it could potentially spill over and endanger its flimsy peace process.
There are worries that a full-fledged civil war could break out in Khartoum as a result of the conflict between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group, which could have an impact on neighbouring South Sudan.
Since fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and the Sudanese army under the command of Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan broke out on April 15, there have been numerous truce attempts.
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Any instability or escalation of violence in Sudan is likely to spill over into South Sudan, with potentially disastrous consequences, as the two countries are close neighbours with a long history of conflict and interdependence.
The potential economic effects of a protracted conflict in the north are a major source of concern for South Sudanese officials.
South Sudan's crude oil is exported by Sudan. The young republic's economy could become unstable if this trade agreement were to be disrupted, and it has already felt the effects of recent tribal uprisings in eastern Sudan.
The cost of South Sudan's oil exports dropped from $100 per barrel to $70 per barrel on Friday. The nation's information minister, Michael Makuei, charged that oil companies were taking advantage of the crisis to lower prices. According to experts, the situation in Sudan may have long-term effects on South Sudan's oil sector.
President Salva Kiir has been calling for a ceasefire so that normalcy can return to Sudan because the situation is alarming and any spillover from Sudan will be a major problem for us here. Acting foreign affairs minister Deng Dau Deng Malek
Given our shared border and shared history, South Sudan is deeply concerned about the situation in Sudan. Any escalation of the conflict in Sudan could have detrimental effects on the United States.
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A senior military official from South Sudan named Maj. Gen. Charles Machieng Kuol also commented on the potential harm that a protracted conflict might bring about and emphasised the need for stability in the area.
He told Arab News, "We have forces that have been deployed along the borders before." We don't want this war to spread to our country, so we are making preparations to protect the borders.
Since gaining independence from Britain and Egypt in 1956, Sudan has experienced numerous civil wars.
A few months prior to gaining independence on January 1, 1956, its first north-south civil war began and lasted until 1972. It set up a conflict between separatist rebels in the predominantly Christian south and succeeding governments in the Muslim-dominated north.
A treaty that gave the south autonomy brought the 17-year war to an end. However, the agreement fell apart in 1983, following 11 years of largely peaceful conditions, when President Jaafar Nimeiri made the decision to revoke the autonomous status of the south.
Following an uprising by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army under the command of John Garang, Sudan's second civil war broke out in 1983. Omar Al-Bashir put down the southern uprising in 1989 after seizing power in a coup.
On January 9, 2005, Garang and Al-Bashir's government signed a peace agreement, bringing an end to the war. The protocol that gave it six years of self-rule before a 2011 referendum on whether to remain a part of Sudan or secede was the foundation of the agreement.
On July 9, 2011, South Sudan declared its independence, dividing the largest nation in Africa in half. Conflict re-emerged in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile in the rump state of Sudan as South Sudan split, in regions held by former guerrillas now known as the SPLM-North.
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The current crisis is complicated by the presence of these former South Sudanese rebels so close to the common border because they could easily be drawn into the fighting.
The involvement of these rebel leaders could have disastrous effects on South Sudan's security, according to Manasseh Zindo, a South Sudanese independent analyst and former delegate to the South Sudan peace process.