Paper long abstract:

This paper examines the role of oil in the civil war and the peace process, and outlines the behaviour of international oil companies in southern Sudan over the past thirty years. In the context of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and increasing independence for the south, Western oil companies are now forging new alliances with the southern Sudanese authorities and hoping to press ahead with exploration and extraction. What are the opportunities and threats posed by this situation for the people of southern Sudan?