And the district commissioner, Kak Padit, announced that about 6,500 crossed the border on Saturday, followed by about 3,000 others on Sunday, and more arrived on Monday.
The clashes, which began on April 15 between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, prompted tens of thousands to flee from the battle zones towards other states, or towards Chad, Egypt and South Sudan.
Juba fears
Juba fears that the effects of the ongoing conflict in Khartoum will spill over into its territory, with more than 700,000 southerners in the north, amid fears of “reverse migration.”
And if the clashes continue, this may result in stopping the flow of oil through the pipeline that connects the main fields in southern Sudan to the port of Port Sudan in Sudan.
Oil exports from Sudan and South Sudan may not have been affected by the clashes so far, but the ongoing conflict may push South Sudan, the landlocked country, to intensify its efforts to search for alternatives to Sudan’s ports for the export of oil.
During the month of March, oil exports from Sudan and South Sudan amounted to about 77 thousand barrels per day.
South Sudan’s concerns were clear, especially with clashes breaking out near its border, so I offered to mediate to calm the two sides down.
important files
The South Sudanese political analyst, Tikwaj Vetter, explained to “Sky News Arabia” website, Juba’s concerns about the repercussions of the conflict in Sudan, at all levels, political, security, economic, social and humanitarian, which he sees as follows:
• Political influence: Sudan is considered the guarantor of the peace agreement between the conflicting parties in southern Sudan, and the conflict may necessarily make Sudan preoccupied with its internal situation.
• Security impact: The two countries have long common borders that represent the security depth of the other, and these areas have been a haven for armed movements and organizations opposing the ruling regime in Juba.
According to Vetter, the conflict in Sudan may increase the activities of these groups, and may cause the Sudanese armed groups to create security tensions along these borders, especially in the Abyei region, after adopting a mechanism to resolve the border dispute over it.
• Economic impact: Trade cooperation between the two countries will be affected by the conflict in Khartoum and the consequent instability in Sudan.
The most important areas of trade cooperation is oil, which is extracted from southern Sudan and its lines pass through Sudanese territory and then is exported from Port Sudan, noting that it constitutes the backbone of the South Sudanese economy by up to 98 percent.
• Social and humanitarian impact: The situation of South Sudanese refugees who have chosen Sudan as a safe place for them is linked to the conflict in Sudan, as they are forced to return to their country.
Indeed, large numbers of them have arrived in southern Sudan, and there are expectations that more will return in light of the continuing clashes in Sudan, and they need resettlement and the provision of their basic needs of housing, food and drink. All this is happening in light of UN reports indicating that several areas in southern Sudan are at risk of famine.
#return #refugees.. #Juba #fears #repercussions #Khartoum #crisis