• Sudan's government doesn't control the whole country
• Since independence from Britain in 1956, the nations northern leaders have fought to extend their power throughout the rebellious south, waging a civil war for all but 11 of the past 48 years.
• Depsite recent peace talks, Sudan remains locked in conflict over ethnic and religious identity and the south's resources: water, land and oil
• Sudan has longed been ruled by a small circle of wealthy northerners who, because of their Muslim faith and Arabized culture, consider themselves Arab instead of African.
• Hoping to make a little money from Sudan's oil, a women sells tea to roughnecks at an oil rig near Bentiu
• When oil was found in the South 2 decades ago, the government planned to pipe it north for refining.
• In 1983 this and government violations of a 1972 peace treaty led to rebel attacks, reigniting the civil war.
• More than 2 million deaths due to war since 1983 - mostly soouthern civilians
• More than $2 million a day oil revenue
• Oil reserves estimated at 3 billion
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