It has been known for some time how rich southern Sudan is in black gold. Abandoned rigs and rusty digging machines litter the vast desert, remnants of previous oil exploration. Now, Chinese and Swedish oil companies have invested hundreds of millions into staking their claim in this Sudanese natural resource, while rebel forces continue to sabotage the site. President Omar Bashir inherited the country's Forgotten War when he seized power in 1989, and has been talking about peace and reconciliation ever since. Minister of Information Ghazi Salah ed Din insists that the country is a constitutional democracy. Citizens say that there haven't been any improvements in the past decade. In a life with little hope, many think that oil money will go towards buying more guns, and the people of Sudan will continue to suffer.