Ten international aid groups say a 2005 peace deal in Sudan is on the verge of collapse and that the world must act now to prevent renewed conflict.
The agencies blamed a "lethal cocktail" of rising violence, chronic poverty and political tensions.Sudan is due to hold a referendum on independence for the oil-rich south in January 2011.Britain has pledged �54m ($87m) in aid to help rebuild southern Sudan and prepare for general elections in April.
The peace deal five years ago ended a 22-year civil war that left some 1.5 million people dead.It saw President Omar al-Bashir's northern National Congress Party (NCP) enter government with former Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) rebels from the south.
A key part of the deal was next year's referendum, in which it is widely expected that the south will vote for independence. In their report, the aid agencies cite disputes over Sudan's oil resources, national elections in April and the independence referendum as potential flash points.
A return to conflict would have devastating consequences extending far beyond south Sudan, they say. The BBC's James Copnall in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, says the country is clearly at the start of a highly charged and risky 12 months.
However, he notes that unlike at the outset of previous crises, there is a heavy international presence in the country.The military worth of the UN peacekeeping mission has yet to be tested, but nearly 10,000 military personnel are charged with keeping the peace, he says.
Sudan's ambassador to London, Omar Muhammad Siddiq, acknowledged that the situation in South Sudan was "deteriorating". He said communities there were arming themselves and were fighting "tribal wars", mainly over the competition for scarce resources. "The situation is not as good as we were expecting after the signature of the comprehensive peace agreement," he said.
However, he argued that the unrest would not affect the elections, in which he said parties and voters were preparing to participate. British Foreign Office Minister Glenys Kinnock, who is due to visit Sudan, noted that it was one of the world's poorest countries.
"They are doing disastrously, and that is reflected in the terrible poverty and relentless suffering of the people," she said. But she added that fully-blown conflict could still be averted. "I think we still have time to ensure that we do see a peaceful, stable Sudan being built around the framework of an election and a referendum," she said.
"What we're asking is for the leadership of both sides, of the government of the South and the government of Sudan, [is] that they ensure that they talk together, they work together with the same motivation, which is to bring peace and security to Sudan."
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