Country might split

last updated 8 January 2015

Khartoum, Sudan

A breakthrough peace agreement may finally end the 19-year civil war that has killed 2 million people in Sudan. The rebel Sudanese People’s Liberation Army has been fighting for independence for the black Christian and animist peoples of the south, who are resisting the Arab-dominated government’s attempts to impose Islamic law. The new peace plan calls for a six-year period of self-government in the south, followed by a referendum on secession. A possible sticking point, though, is who will control the lucrative southern oil fields, currently the government’s main source of cash.