05 July 2012

Why South Sudan is winning the oil pipeline stand-off with Khartoum

Adam Hyde has a new piece up arguing that it's time for the international community to increase the pressure on South Sudan's leaders to make a deal on oil with Khartoum.

I'm still not convinced that it has to be Juba to blink first. Look at the reaction to austerity; Sudanese students are protesting against the regime in Khartoum. South Sudanese students are collecting money to send to the SPLA. Communities around the South are donating cows to the SPLA.

I want a deal as much as anyone, but I want a deal that is fair, one that is closer to the $1 a barrel it actually costs to run a pipeline than the $36 a barrel that Khartoum wants to charge - half of all revenues.

4 comments:

boredinpostconflict said...

But what would you have happen to the people in the north? 

rovingbandit said...

I would have us stop giving the government that they are burdened with a free pass, and put some pressure there. Something like this 
http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/1424618/ ? Even this 
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/25/bombing-sudans-air-bases-only-way-to-protect-innoc/ ?

boredinpostconflict said...

But even with that government removed, do you think the country would be able to survive with such heavy financial losses? Would it still be acceptable to allow allow a $1 per barrel deal if it meant the country would collapse?

rovingbandit said...

Morally I think it is acceptable that people who live in the South receive the benefits from the oil that is located there. Politically, I think there is some kind of mutually beneficial deal to be made somewhere between $1 and $36. Perhaps anything up to $10 would be fair?

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