I'm writing this from Bentiu, capital of Unity state, or I would be if someone didn't keep dropping bombs on it. The UN and the NGOs are evacuating most of their staff today so my trip will have to wait till Tuesday next week, when we'll try again.
Observers of events in these parts over the last 50 years will know that these guys don't need an excuse to fight, but this time they have one. The black South and the arab North are going at it again for control of the Heglig oil field, and its all-crucial Central Processing Facility. All oil from South Sudan goes through the north as that's where the only pipeline goes, and two months ago the South took its ball home and turned off the pumps as it was convinced the north was siphoning it off along the way. Holding the CPF would be a good way to do a similar siphoning trick as all the oil from north and south goes through it.
Seeing as 98% of South Sudan's revenue is from oil, its sulking raises two major questions. How will it now feed its people, and where the hell did the other 2% come from? The first question is moot as South Sudan has never bothered to feed its people, preferring to splash out on heavy artillery. As for the second question, my visa must have contributed a hefty portion, as it's $100 just to set foot in the country. I imagine that import duty on ministerial Hummers has been significant too. Of course, technically they can't charge you for importing things because they haven't got around to writing any laws yet but that's another story.
Observers of events in these parts over the last 50 years will know that these guys don't need an excuse to fight, but this time they have one. The black South and the arab North are going at it again for control of the Heglig oil field, and its all-crucial Central Processing Facility. All oil from South Sudan goes through the north as that's where the only pipeline goes, and two months ago the South took its ball home and turned off the pumps as it was convinced the north was siphoning it off along the way. Holding the CPF would be a good way to do a similar siphoning trick as all the oil from north and south goes through it.
Seeing as 98% of South Sudan's revenue is from oil, its sulking raises two major questions. How will it now feed its people, and where the hell did the other 2% come from? The first question is moot as South Sudan has never bothered to feed its people, preferring to splash out on heavy artillery. As for the second question, my visa must have contributed a hefty portion, as it's $100 just to set foot in the country. I imagine that import duty on ministerial Hummers has been significant too. Of course, technically they can't charge you for importing things because they haven't got around to writing any laws yet but that's another story.
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