Report Says Sudan Ex-Foes Building Up Armies

A Kenya-based regional newspaper has alleged that Sudan’s Arab dominated North and its semi-autonomous South are both building up their armies in preparation for a possible return to armed combat between the two sides. According to the East African newspaper , Khartoum and the south’s former rebel SPLM have also been secretly stocking up weapons following an uneasy coexistence as coalition partners under a shaky 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and disputes over oil resources located in the South. The paper says the two sides are focusing on the outcome of the 2009 elections or the 2011 referendum, when the South will vote whether to remain autonomous under a united Sudan or secede altogether.[PE]