Sudan

The world’s newest country is suing its former other half because of what South Sudan describes as “stealing” oil.

As the year comes to close, many are relieved that a year of stormy clouds and unabated anger is behind us. Things can only get better or is there still worse to come? In 2011, it turned out that we could not forecast the range of violent weather, nor could we predict the rage of people. From the Gulf to the Caucuses, and from the USA to Japan the world felt pain in 2011.

Talks between North and South Sudan recently hit a deadlock when the former rejecting the latter's proposal of a US$5.4 billion offer, and instead demanded that South Sudan pays US$7.4 billion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will pay an historic visit to South Sudan on Wednesday.

According to Salih Abdullah Al-Kamil, a Saudi investor who heads the Union of Islamic Commerce Chambers, the Sudanese government's “repulsive” investment policy is to blame for the departure of foreign investors from the country.

The state minister of energy Ali Ahmed Osman told the parliament that Sudan currently produces 117,900 bpd and projected an average of 320,000 bpd between the years 2013-2016. He offered no details on where the increase would come from.

According to report published Monday in a Sudanese newspaper, Saif al-Islam, son of slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, is currently in Sudan

The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir said that losing oil as a major source of revenue has led to a budget deficit and an unfavorable balance of trade which he said put the government in the dilemma of needing to raise new revenues without having to raise taxes.

Al-Bashir said the best way to fight the rise in the prices of commodities is to boycott them, although he said that the "ideal" way of handling a problem such as this is to reduce consumption.

Mining Minister Abdelbaqi al-Jaylani expects that Sudan will earn $4 billion from mine exports this year.

The Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) expects Arab investment in agriculture of $ 27 billion, including $ 15 billion in Algeria during the next five years.

The Sudanese pound hit a new low against the dollar which equaled 3.9 Sudanese pound compared to 3.6 last week.

Simon Kun Puoc, governor of South Sudan’s Upper Nile State on Wednesday challenged youths to help government efforts in combating poverty.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced Thursday that Israel has established full diplomatic relations with the government of the newly established South Sudan.

South Sudan said its former civil war foe Khartoum, which controls the pipelines for its oil exports, had declared economic war against the new African nation.

The Central Bank of Sudan (CBS) launched the new Sudanese Pound throughout North Sudan on Sunday.

The new currency for the Republic of South Sudan was officially launched on Monday, amidst citizens concerns that the date on which the notes were printed was not indicated.

South Sudan urgently needs a diversification strategy to move away from a mono–product economy, said Ian Bannon, Acting Country Director for World Bank in Sudan.

It's official, South Sudan is now a new country...

South Sudan became the world's newest nation yesterday but has a long way to go in developing its main industry, oil.

Southern Sudan has started celebrating its independence from the north early Saturday morning.

The soon to be independent oil rich state of South Sudan will mobilize 500 billion dollars worth of investment for infrastructure development in the next five years.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Tuesday morning arrived in the Chinese capital Beijing for a summit between him and President Hu Jintao.

The government of the oil-producing region of South Sudan on Wednesday called on the international community to provide more financial support to education there as it approaches statehood on July 9.

Current violent clashes along the dotted division of Sudan could escalate into a prolonged civil war, the future of oil taking a front seat in this transition.

In the Arab World, the most solemn week in the Christian calendar was matched by the sobriety of celebrations snatched during political upheaval and bloodshed. In some regions that particularly peaked in unrest during this holy week, celebrations have had to be ‘foresaken’ somewhat for current needs on the ground during this emergency period.