Security concerns at South Sudan border
South Sudan will split away to become a new country on Saturday, and there are concerns over the security of oil-rich areas near the border with the north.
The Sudanese government says it is trying to defeat a rebellion in South Kordofan which is made up of thousands of fighters, closely allied to the Southern rebels in the long north-south civil war.
At least 70,000 civilians have been displaced. Despite international calls for a ceasefire in the state, President Omar Bashir has vowed to fight on.
Will Ross reports from Juba.