Sudan and its deteriorating relations with neighboring South Sudan are making headlines, and rarely are those headlines positive for the beleaguered Sahelian nation. The recently splintered country rescued a number of kidnapped Chinese workers in South Kordofan recently but is facing a humanitarian crisis on its southern border, oil-related tensions with rival South Sudan and calls from human rights organizations to release student activists.
Here are a number of recent headlines related to the troubles threatening Sudan and the increasingly tense situation along its undemarcated border.
* CNN is reporting the Sudanese army might have freed 14 to 17 Chinese workers in South Kordofan state. The Sudan News Agency claims 14 workers were rescued from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, while China's Xinhua news agency reports 17 workers were released. 56 other construction workers of local and foreign nationalities remain unaccounted for.
* Five youth activists were arrested Jan. 25 in Khartoum by the National Intelligence and Security Service, according to Freedom House, and there are other activists under arrest and without access to lawyers. The human rights group noted Nagi Musa, Amar Dirar, Gazi Altayeb, Mohamed Mahjoub and a fifth unidentified individual are at "serious risk of torture and other abuses" from the Sudanese government.
* Freedom House had already indicated in its Jan. 19 "Freedom in the World 2012" report that Sudan had been deemed to have a downward trend overall due to political arrests, political party bans and violent crackdowns on protesters and journalists during the Arab Spring. The country has ratings of 7 for political rights and 7 for civil liberties, the lowest possible ratings.
* South Sudan is an oil producer and uses Sudan's pipelines and port access to ship its goods to markets. But after accusing Sudan of stealing oil, the Associated Press is reporting that production was shut down in the new nation. An agreement regarding transit fees has yet to be resolved after two years of negotiations. South Sudan is stating it will not restart oil production until Sudan meets a list of demands.
* Ongoing border tensions have left South Kordofan and Blue Niles states in a state of chaos, with fighting having caused 80,000 people to flee, the AP also reports. The World Food Program believes 500,000 people could end up leaving the area and will need food aid if the Sudanese government fails to permit aid and assistance to the conflict regions.
Shawn Humphrey is a former contributor to The Flint Journal and an amateur Africanist, focusing his personal studies on human rights and political issues on the continent.
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