![]() ![]() They were of the opinion that the oil should have been sold to them, thereby keeping the wealth in Africa. They felt that by giving the oil to the Russians, they had been passed over. Sudan’s neighbouring countries also took umbrage. Without the economic benefit of this oil, the SPLA believed the large problem of increasing Sudan’s per capita output would be adversely affected, but most of all they realised the government was doing it to raise help in holding the SPLA and other rebel groups at bay. When the new oil deal was announced, this enflamed the conflict with the SPLA even further, although they hated being oppressed by an Islamic/Military regime, they believed at least the current regimes economic policies were smart, and were benefiting the overall economic status of the country, by slowly implementing IMF macroeconomic strategies. Although Russia has some of the largest oil deposits in the world, much of it is stuck below hundreds of metres of permafrost, the cost of extraction and transportation from the remote, frostbitten areas forcing the price of the oil sky high, and creating an extreme burden on Russia’s economically important long-distance heavy transportation industry. Russia accepted the deal, not because they believed the regime should be in power, but because they saw an immediate need for cheap oil in Russia. The solution they came up with, was to forge an agreement with Russia, that it would sign over all of the profits from the new sources of oil and gas to Russia, in return for help keeping the rebels at bay, but under the pretense of providing economic aid, cheaper generic branded HIV medication, and help in improving road, highway and long range telecommunication infrastructure. ![]() With the 2002-2003 cease fire agreement having broken down, and political opposition parties in the North of the country making a common cause with the rebels in the south, the Islamic-Militarist government found itself faced with the prospect that it may be overthrown. ![]() The new problem was that this new oil source was located in the rebellions traditional stronghold in the countries non-Arab, non-Islamic south. Sudan’s Military government, with its ability to hold the newly revitalised Sudanese People’s Liberation Army at bay beginning to falter, decided this new source of oil was its one sure-fire way to hold onto power. In late 2005, a Russian mineral exploration company discovered a series of large oilfields in southern Sudan. ![]()
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