The unexpected deal: oil and the IGAD process
Jostein Tellnes (2006)
Oil was expected to be a difficult issue to resolve in the IGAD peace process, yet a combination of mediation strategies, international pressure, progress in security talks and the motivations of the parties to reap the benefit of Sudan's oil resources led to a protocol on wealth sharing in January 2004. Jostein Tellnes describes some of the motivations, strategies and compromises that made this possible. Crucially, the stumbling block of subterranean natural resource ownership remained undecided in the agreement, enabling the parties to resolve the more 'divisible' issues of revenue sharing and the management of the petroleum sector independently of ownership.