South Sudan's invasion of its neighbour's territory is reckless behaviour.
A young girl at Sunday school in the Nuba mountains close to where South Sudanese forces have captured a vital oilfield Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Unlike the civil war in Syria, which claimed more lives yesterday despite a
supposed ceasefire, an outbreak of fighting in the remote plains of central
Africa might not command international attention. But South Sudan’s reckless
decision to invade its neighbour and capture a vital oilfield risks starting
a new war with consequences that could spread far beyond its borders.
Last year, this vast nation broke away from Sudan after a 56-year struggle for
independence that claimed at least two million lives. The terrible human
cost of South Sudan’s long fight for freedom from Khartoum’s Islamist regime
should have made the new country’s leader profoundly reluctant to start
another war. Instead, President Salva Kiir has taken the most inflammatory
step possible, sending troops 40 miles into his neighbour’s territory to
capture Heglig oilfield, which accounts for about 55 per cent of Sudan’s
daily crude production.
Khartoum now has little choice but to counter-attack, as Mr Kiir must have
anticipated. Thanks to his fecklessness, President Omar al-Bashir, the
indicted war criminal who leads Sudan, has been given the chance to pose as
the injured party. The border between South Sudan and its neighbour has
never been agreed, nor has any viable division of the oilfields. Instead of
starting a new war, Mr Kiir probably wants to use Heglig oilfield as a
bargaining counter to extract concessions from Khartoum at the negotiating
table. But this is a deeply cynical and irresponsible game. Already, the
fighting has probably displaced as many as 100,000 people. Sudan’s
retaliation will doubtless inflict yet more suffering. If Mr Kiir
miscalculates and another conflict does erupt, he will deserve the
condemnation of his people and the world.
