By Yvonne Andiva
James Gatdet Dak, a spokesman for former vice president turned opposition leader Riek Machar said that the anti-government forces have given oil production companies in the country’s two oil-producing states, Unity and Upper Nile, one week to close down operations. The opposition wants to shut down oil production to prevent the government of President Salva Kiir from using income from sales of crude to buy weapons.
Unity state produces around 15 percent of South Sudan’s oil, while Upper Nile produces the remaining 85 percent. Both states have seen violence since conflict erupted in South Sudan in December.
The conflict in South Sudan has left thousands dead and around a million people have been forced to flee their homes to neighbouring countries like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania since fighting broke out on December 15th, 2013 in the capital Juba before spreading to other states in the oil-rich nation.
