Thank you.
Oil is a subject of discussion everywhere in Sudan, but it's the most difficult subject because there's very little information coming out. It's not a very transparent business.
Right now the economy is governed by the wealth-sharing agreement, which is part of the comprehensive peace agreement. This basically says that the income from oil pumped in Sudan, particularly in south Sudan, will be shared 50-50 between the north and the south. Most of the oil is in the south, but it is exported through the north.
Recently the prices have come down, which have caused an economic crisis both in the north and in the south. That's significant because it means that the government will have even less capacity to render the services to the population that they do now.
In the last few years, especially after the end of the year 2000, a lot of new investors have come to south Sudan, including China, India, and Malaysia. They are not the exclusive actors of the oil business or oil economy, but they are the main ones. China, in particular, has come under a lot of pressure for its role in supporting the Government of Sudan, mainly because they have an oil deal. It is true that China has protected, shielded, the Government of Sudan from the most robust resolution on the Security Council for a certain time. But they have also changed gears to a certain extent. They have reacted to pressure and they have started actively encouraging the Government of Sudan to stabilize Darfur. They are the ones who actually gained consent from the Government of Sudan for the deployment of the UN-AU mission. If the Chinese had not got involved, we would not have this agreement on deployment. So they are starting to play a more constructive role. I think they have also understood that south Sudan may secede in 2011, and if that is the case, they will need to establish relationships with the government of south Sudan.
Clearly, the actors of the oil industry are not western. This is also a factor, obviously, for us to consider.