Heglig
Heglig
Town in South Kordofan, Sudan
Heglig, or Panthou (also spelled Heglieg or Pandthow), is a small town at the border between the South Kordofan state of Sudan and the Unity State in South Sudan. The entirety of Heglig is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, but administered by Sudan. The area was contested during the Sudanese Civil War. In mid-April 2012, South Sudan's Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) captured the Heglig oil field from Sudan.[1] Sudan took it back at the Second Battle of Heglig ten days later.[2]
Heglig
هجلیج (Arabic) Panthou | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Coordinates: 9°59′58″N 29°23′55″E | |
| Country | Sudan |
| State | South Kordofan |
Heglig is the Arabic name of the "desert date", the fruit of the Balanites aegyptiaca tree, which is found in most parts of Africa and the Middle East.[3] Sudanese Sufis use heglig (lalob) seeds to make rosaries. Lalob is also a favorite food for camels, goats, sheep and cattle. South Sudan does not recognize the name Heglig for the town. During the 10-day occupation by the SPLA, South Sudan restored the name of the town Panthou, a Dinka translation of the word heglig. Panthou is a combination of two words in Dinka; "Pand" which mean the area or home and "Thou" which is the desert date tree, as such Panthou means land or home of desert's date. There are many places around the Dinka areas that have the name of Panthou.[citation needed]
Heglig is situated within the Muglad Basin, a rift basin which contains much of South Sudan's proven oil reserves. The Heglig oil field was first developed in 1996 by Arakis Energy (now part of Talisman Energy).[citation needed] Today it is operated by the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company.[4] Production at Heglig is reported to have peaked in 2006 and is now in decline.[5] The Heglig oil field is connected to Khartoum and Port Sudan via the Greater Nile Oil Pipeline.
In July 2009, the international organization, Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) redefined the boundaries of Abyei, a county that lies between South Sudan and Sudan. The decision placed the Heglig and Bamboo oilfields out of Abyei boundary but did not specify to be belong to the Sudan province of South Kordofan, nor to Upper Nile region, South Sudan and also the decision did not specify oil sharing. The government of Sudan claimed that area is belong to its country since it was ruled to be out of Abyei boundary by PCA and announced they would not share any oil revenue with the Government of South Sudan, emphasizing that the PCA established that Heglig was part of the north. The document of the PCA only indicated that the Heglig or Panthou area is not part of Abyei.
There was fighting in the area during the 2012 Heglig Crisis, both the First Battle of Heglig and Second Battle of Heglig.
Heglig Airport hosts three Sudanese Air Force helicopter squadrons (Mil Mi-8/Mil Mi-17).[6] The airport's runways are both gravel.
- "Sudan says South Sudan controls largest oil field". BBC News. 10 April 2012. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
- "AU pushing roadmap for resolution of conflict between Khartoum and Juba - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan". www.sudantribune.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- "Balanites". ScienceDirect. Archived from the original on 10 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- "Project Overview". Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
- "Fact Sheet II The Economy of Sudan's Oil Industry" (PDF). European Coalition on Oil in Sudan. October 2007. Archived from the original on 13 September 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2008.