The Sudanese army is not the Wehrmacht, Carol, nor is it the Red Army. South Sudan has about eight million people in an area filled with some of the nastiest swamps and mountains in the world and stuffed to the brim with plague. Making an advance into reasonably determined resistance in murderous terrain seems rather above the Sudanese army's level. Indeed so far it does not seem that they have even tried to subjugate it in any meaningful sense but only conducted raids.

Really? Hitler took 10 years. Stalin took almost 20. Mao took about 15 years. Pol Pot took about 15 years, as I remember. Check out the history of the evil ones, Jason; they just keep on keeping on.

As far as other governments rushing to help them, who knows if they've even asked? I think they think they don't NEED help! They believe they are quite capable of "cleansing" their country all by themselves. And, maybe they are.

Taking years to commit genocide does not give confidence in their prowess and the other Muslim governments don't seem to have proffered that much help.

I'm sorry I wasn't more clear in my answer. Yes, I believe the North does indeed have the "force" necessary to "revoke" the independance they've granted. I base my belief on 2 considerations: 1) the North has been committing genocide on the South for years and nobody's raised a hue-and-cry over it, so I think they think they could do it again without interference; and 2) because the North is Muslim, they would only have to call on the Muslim dictators who surround them for help, and it would be gladly given.

The point Carol was that it is unlikely that the thugs of the North will be able to disallow the independence of Southern once given because I doubt their military capacity is great enough whatever their religion.

I guess I don't understand the question, then. Wanna give it another try?

No.

The "thugs of the North" are Muslim. The peoples of the South are a mix of Christians and something else (I've forgotten). Does that answer your question?

Do the thugs of the north have adequate force to revoke such permission?