Sudan discovers “abundant” oil in war-torn Darfur

Geological studies and surveys proved that there are “abundant” quantities of oil in the western region of Darfur, Sudan’s Energy and Mining Ministry said. Energy and Mining Minister, Awad Ahmed al-Jazz, said that the newly discovered oil field is expected to generate 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day by August this year. Mohamed Siddig, a spokesman for the energy ministry also announced that drilling for oil has started in Darfur “on the basis of the geological studies and surveys which proved the presence of oil in abundant quantities in Darfur," Siddig said the ABCO consortium, in which the Swiss company Cliveden has a 37 percent share, owned the rights to the field. Currently Sudan exports around 300,000 oil barrels per day. The country’s main oil fields are in the south, where rebels launched an uprising against the Sudanese government, demanding a greater share in the country’s natural resources. In January, both parties signed a peace treaty in Nairobi, Kenya, ending more than 20 years of civil war in the south. Under the accord, 50% of oil revenues from southern oil fields will go to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M), while Khartoum takes the other half. [more]

• A former Marine Capt., who recently spent six months in Sudan's Darfur, discusses the violence in the region he captured through a camera lens. [here]
• Photos- Darfurians in Sudanese Camps Courtesy of International Rescue Committee. Hi-res [here]
• DarfurGenocide.org [here
• Pictured above: The few animals that refugees have brought with them are dying from lack of fodder and water around Bahai. The International Rescue Committee has organized a program to collect and burn carcasses to prevent the spread of disease. [more]