Civil War Escalates In Sudan's Oil State

Sudan Oil State Rebels Say Repulsed Government Advance -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Rebels in Sudan's main oil state said on Friday they had killed scores of government troops in one of the largest clashes reported in the South Kordofan region in recent months.

Sudan's armed forces were not available to comment on the report by the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N). Access to South Kordofan, which borders newly independent South Sudan, is restricted and it was not possible to verify the report independently.

"The SPLM-N were able to kill 70 of the enemy forces," the rebels said in a statement, adding that seven insurgents died.

Read more ....

Update: Major battle in South Kordofan: Sudan rebels -- AFP

My Comment: With Sudan's ties to Iran being questioned .... coupled with an escalation in the South Kordofan conflict .... the Sudanese government should not be surprised that U.S. sanctions are NOT going to be removed.

Urest Continues In Sudan

Sudan Police Teargas Protesters After Prayers -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Sudanese police fired volleys of teargas at worshipers trying to leave a mosque to demonstrate after Friday prayers, witnesses said, as the government attempts to quell a protest movement angry at tough austerity measures.

The past three weeks have seen small-scale protests across Sudan calling for the government of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, in power for 23 years, to resign.

Online activists, some of them inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings last year, have been using social media to call for even larger demonstrations. But Sudanese police and security forces have routinely and swiftly crushed any signs of dissent.

Read more ....

Update #1: Dissent Sprouts in Sudan, but It May Not Be Arab Spring -- New York Times
Update #2: Sudan drops 5 Cabinet posts as part of austerity measures after protests over subsidy cuts -- Washington Post/AP
Update #3: Sudan's opposition tightens screws on Omar al-Bashir -- The Guardian
Update #4: Sudan opposition pledges to step up protests -- AFP

My Comment: This is not an Arab Spring. The protests are still small .... and probably will continue to be the case as the government cracks down on its opponents.