Oil remains source of conflict for the Sudans
Oil could bind the two Sudans together. For now, it remains another source of conflict between them
Oil lies at the heart of the relationship between Sudan and South Sudan. It was key to the two Sudanese civil wars, fought between 1952 and 2005. Access to oil fuelled and prolonged the conflicts. Oil was crucial to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended the second civil war; the commodity is central to government budgets, north and south. Oil continues to bind the Sudans together. Since the south declared independence, the Sudanese have been locked in a struggle over oil. On independence day – 9 July 2011 – South Sudan gained 75% of Sudan’s total oil production; 350,000 barrels a day (b/d), worth $35 million to $40m daily. Sudan’s northern rump was left with output of 150
Also in this section
22 April 2026
The failure of OMV Petrom’s keenly watched exploration campaign at Bulgaria’s Han Asparuh block highlights the Black Sea’s uneven track record, despite major successes like Neptun Deep and Sakarya
22 April 2026
Sustained strikes on ports, terminals and refineries are testing the resilience of Russia’s oil export system, yet rapid repairs, rerouting and surging prices mean the campaign has yet to deliver a decisive blow
21 April 2026
After overcoming a COVID-induced demand collapse with several years of successful market management, geopolitical events have conspired to provide the pact’s biggest test to date
21 April 2026
The regime’s policy of using nuclear ambiguity as a deterrent may have failed but it has realised it has other cards to play, while its neighbours are reappraising their approach to security
