Three months after the south seceded, Sudan's economy is floundering, with rampant food inflation, lost oil revenue and costly military campaigns becoming a serious crisis for veteran president Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

An armed group belonging to Misseriya tribe opened fire on workers in a Chinese oil field in South Kordofan's Balila area on Wednesday, 28 September 2011.

China is prepared to mediate between North and South Sudan in order to bridge difference in views regarding outstanding post-secession issues, the visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said.

The Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi said that North and South Sudan "will lose the peace equation" by not cooperating on the joint and controversial issues.

The authorities in Port Sudan have allowed an oil shipment to leave for its destination after several days of delay over the non-payment of custom duties by South Sudan. It is unknown how much South Sudan had to pay so that Khartoum unblocks the shipment.

The Sudanese government confirmed that authorities in Port Sudan refused to allow an oil shipment to leave because of unpaid fees by the South.

Economic talks between Sudan and South Sudan appear to have fallen apart on July 30th, following disagreements over pipeline fees and economic issues centered around the recent unveiling of new currencies by both countries.

Salva Kiir threatened to stop using the pipelines running through Sudan if the latter insists on sharing oil revenue as opposed to receiving transit fees. He also addressed the issue of the disputed border region of Abyei stressing that it belongs to South Sudan.

Offering grave signs that Sudan may slide back into war, the southern Sudanese military is repositioning its forces toward the country's tense north-south border, and it alleges that the north is building up its troops on the other side, according to internal U.N. documents obtained by McClatchy Newspapers.

Analysts have predicted fighting could break out in Southern Kordofan ahead of the split, especially after an NCP official was named the winner of a gubernatorial election last month.