The Eastern Front is a coalition of rebel groups operating in eastern Sudan along the border with Eritrea, particularly the states of Red Sea and Kassala. While the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) was the primary member of the Eastern Front, the SPLA was obliged to leave by the January 2005 agreement that ended the Second Sudanese Civil War. Their place was taken in 2004 by two tribal-based rebel groups, the Free Lions of the Rashaida people and the Beja Congress of the Beja. The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a rebel group from Darfur in the west, then joined. States as of 2000 Anglo-Egyptian Sudan had eight mudiriyas, or provinces, which were ambiguous when created but became well defined by the beginning of the Second World War. ... Red Sea Coast of Sudan Red Sea (Al Bahr al Ahmar) is one of the 26 wilayat or states of Sudan. ... Kassala is one of the 26 wilayat or states of Sudan. ... Sudan Peoples Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) is a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the main opposition group in Sudan. ... 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Deaths in January • 29 Ephraim Kishon • 25 Philip Johnson • 23 Johnny Carson • 22 Parveen Babi • 20 Jan Nowak-Jeziorański • 17 Virginia Mayo • 17 Zhao Ziyang • 15... Combatants Sudanese Government (North Sudan) Sudan Peoples Liberation Army Commanders Gaafar Nimeiry Sadiq al-Mahdi Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir John Garang Casualties Not Released 1. ... The Rashaida are a nomadic people in Sudan (68,000) and Eritrea (225,000). ... The Beja Congress is a political group comprising sevral ethnic entities of the eastern region of Sudan. ... BEJA PEOPLE The Beja tribes are the indigenous inhabitants of the Eastern Region of the Sudan. ... The Justice and Equality Movement is a rebel group involved in the Darfur conflict. ... Darfur (Arabic دار فور, meaning home of the Fur) is a region of far western Sudan, bordering the Central African Republic, Libya, and Chad. ...

Both the Free Lions and the Beja Congress stated that government inequity in the distribution of oil profits was the cause of their rebellion. They demanded to have a greater say in the composition of the national government, which has been seen as a destabilizing influence on the agreement ending the conflict in Southern Sudan. The Eastern Front was strengthened after 17 Beja rioters were killed by police in Port Sudan in late January 2005 and angry young Beja men began to join rebel camps in Eritrea. The Eritrean government in Asmara supported the Eastern Front apparently in retaliation for Sudanese support to the Eritrean Islamist factions. Meanwhile, the JEM has formed an alliance with the Eastern Front and moved troops into the region apparently in an attempt to position itself as a national movement, rather than one limited to its Darfur homeland. Southern Sudan is a region of Sudan. ... Port Sudan is the capital of the state of Red Sea and has nearly 300,000 residents. ... Asmara Asmara (formerly Asmera) is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people. ... It has been suggested that Islamic fundamentalism be merged into this article or section. ...

The Eastern Front had threatened to block the flow of crude oil, which travels from the oil fields of the south-central regions to outside markets through Port Sudan. A government plan to build a second oil refinery near Port Sudan ws also threatened. The government was reported to have three times as many soldiers in the east to suppress the rebellion as in the more widely reported Darfur region. There were also rumors that the government is considering unleashing militias, similar to the janjaweed of the Darfur conflict, against the Rashaida and Beja. Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Petroleum (from Greek petra – rock and elaion – oil or Latin oleum – oil ) or crude oil is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. ... Drilling rig in a small oil field Near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 An oil field is an area with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum (oil) from below ground. ... A market is, as defined in economics, a social arrangement that allows buyers and sellers to discover information and carry out a voluntary exchange. ... View of Shell Oil Refinery in Martinez, California. ... The Janjaweed (Arabic: جنجويد, variously transliterated Janjawid, Janjawed, Jingaweit, Jinjaweed, Janjawiid, Janjiwid,etc. ... Combatants factions of the SLA Justice & Equality Mvmnt Janjaweed Government of Sudan Minnawi-faction of the SLA Commanders SLA: ? JEM: ? Janjaweed: ? Sudan: Omar al-Bashir SLA: Minni Minnawi Casualties 300,000 civilians killed The Darfur conflict is an ongoing armed conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan, mainly between...

The Eritrean government government in mid 2006 dramatically changed their position on the conflict. From being the main supporter of the Eastern Front they decided that bringing the Sudanese government around the negotiating table for a possible agreement with the rebels would be in their best interests. Some believe this is because they want to avoid any conflict on their Sudanese in case of war with Ethioipia.

External links

• Q&A: Sudan's eastern rebellion, BBC News, 23 June 2005

[1] The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... June 23 is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 191 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...