By Andrew Heavens
KHARTOUM, 22 June (Reuters) - Former foes from Sudan's north-south civil war are due to meet in Washington on Tuesday to try to pump new life into their troubled peace deal.
The conference, organised by the U.S. envoy to Sudan, could provide a chance for north and south Sudan to settle disputes over the roll-out of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) -- disputes that if left unresolved could drag Africa's biggest country and the surrounding region back into conflict.
But time for settlements is running out ahead of a number of deadlines, including a ruling on a disputed oil region in July, national elections and a referendum on southern secession.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE SUMMIT?
Any return to civil war in Sudan would have a disastrous effect on the country, its oil industry -- which involves Total of France, CNPC of China, Petronas of Malaysia and other leading operators -- and surrounding states.
Sudan's two-decade civil war between its Muslim north and its mostly Christian south dwarfed the more prominent Darfur conflict in terms of bloodshed and regional impact.
Two million people died and 4 million fled their homes between 1983 and 2005 as north and south Sudan battled out differences in ideology, ethnicity and religion.
The CPA set up an interim period in Sudan, with a north-south coalition government and the sharing of oil wealth. But that interim period ends in 18 months with the southern referendum and analysts say Sudan's government is far from prepared for how to handle what comes next.
The summit will achieve a lot if it can persuade northern and southern leaders to meet halfway over their disputes, or to at least lay out how they are planning to deal with flashpoints.
WHO WILL ATTEND?
One of the most important things about the meeting is its high-profile venue, Washington, as well as the prominence of its participants.
Many in Sudan feel the international community has neglected the north-south conflict, focusing its attention and funding instead on the separate fighting in Darfur.
The conference -- called by U.S. Sudan envoy Scott Gration, who reports directly to U.S. President Barack Obama -- pushes the issue back up the global agenda.
The delegation from north Sudan's dominant National Congress Party (NCP) is led by Ghazi Salaheddin, a powerful adviser to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
The south's Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) is represented by deputy chairman Malik Agar.
Other scheduled attendees include China's Sudan envoy Liu Guijin and representatives of the countries and bodies that witnessed the signing of the CPA, including the United Nations, the Arab League, Britain, Italy and Egypt.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN FLASHPOINTS?
* Abyei -- Both north and south Sudan claim large parts of the central region that includes oilfields and a key pipeline and their troops have clashed there since the 2005 deal. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is due to rule on the dispute in July. It will be next to impossible to find an arrangement that pleases both sides.
* Elections -- The SPLM is deeply unhappy about the arrangements for February's elections. It says a census under-counted the number of southerners and is demanding a re-drawing of constituencies. Further delays, and even boycotts by some parties, remain a possibility.
* Southern secession -- The biggest potential flashpoint is the vote on southern independence in January 2011. Most commentators expect southerners to choose secession. But there is next to no activity within Sudanese government or U.N. circles to prepare the country for such a traumatic breakup. The opportunities for conflict are legion if Sudan sleepwalks its way into separation, not least over control of oilfields and the land rights of heavily armed tribal groups who regularly move over the border.
WHAT IS THE CHANCE OF SUCCESS?
The Washington summit could be seen as a test of what appears to be a more open approach to Sudan's government from the Obama administration.
The Sudanese delegations will be hoping for more support and funding from the West for expensive parts of the peace deal, such as the election. The United States and other governments at the talks will be looking for signs that Sudan has plans to get through the next 18 months until the referendum, and to secure some sort of stability afterwards.
But any clear settlements will still be difficult to secure. Sudan's politicians are masters at delaying difficult decisions by endlessly stretching out negotiating processes and meetings. And many efforts to solve issues such as Abyei have failed in the past, simply because northerners and southerners will not budge an inch over what they see as their border. (Additional reporting by Skye Wheeler in Juba; Editing by Alison Williams)
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