In January, South Sudan declared it was withdrawing forces from its border with Sudan's oil-producing Abyei region, which has been the subject of a territorial dispute between the two states. Current reports, however, suggest South Sudan is reinforcing its positions along Abyei, as well as in South Sudan's Upper Nile state. Skirmishes and occasional bombardments along the border between Sudan and South Sudan are reported on a regular basis, and the presence of rebel groups further complicates the situation. Rebels in South Sudan fight against South Sudanese government forces, while the Sudan People's Revolution Movement launches attacks against Sudan from South Sudan. Sudan has also accused South Sudan of infiltrating the western Sudanese region of Darfur. Sudan fights its own internal conflict in this province and claims South Sudan is exploiting the conflict in Darfur to destabilize Sudan. The oil revenue-sharing agreement South Sudan and Sudan signed in September 2012 is conditional on reaching an agreement that resolves security matters and demarcates a border. Negotiations on the border have since continued, but they have stalled several times. The last round of talks broke off Jan. 19 due to a disagreement on how to demilitarize the border. Negotiations were scheduled to restart Feb. 14 but were delayed indefinitely hours before talks were scheduled to begin. The lost oil revenue is inflicting financial pain on both countries, and the latest delay pushes back the resumption of South Sudan's 350,000 barrels per day of oil exports — cut off since January 2012 — to June or July at the earliest, and even then only if talks resume in the next few weeks.
