Five years after a peace deal ending Sudan's 22-year-long civil war, there are fears of the country sliding back into all-out war between the North and the South.

In the past 12 months trouble has flared repeatedly, with more than 2,000 people killed and 350,000 displaced in the south of the country.

Will the run-up to impending elections in April be peaceful or will violence once again spiral between the North and the South, as many fear?

In exactly one year the South of Sudan will vote in a referendum on whether to separate from the North. But what preparations are being made?

With calls to world leaders to intervene and bolster the fragile peace agreement,  what can be done to avoid conflict in Sudan? What can the world powers do for Sudan?

Inside Story presenter Nick Clark is joined by Safwat Fanous, a political scientist from the University of Khartoum in Sudan, and Edward Thomas, a historian and analyst specialising in Sudan for Chatham House.

This episode of Inside Story aired from Sunday, January 10, 2010.