South Sudan crisis drives idea of oil wealth monitoring

South Sudan’s oil fields have become a battleground in the struggle for power in Africa’s newest nation. This has seen Western nations and regional mediators consider international monitoring of crude revenues as a way to remove a major bone of contention from such conflicts.

South Sudan sits on Sub-Saharan Africa’s third-biggest crude reserves. Its oil fields were early targets in fighting that erupted in December and has rumbled on despite two ceasefire deals and UN warnings that a man-made famine looms.