Ten international aid groups say a 2005 peace deal in Sudan is on the verge¹ of collapse² and that the world must act now to prevent renewed conflict.

十家国际援助组织称，苏丹2005和平协议处于瓦解的边缘，世界必须行动起来以阻止新冲突的产生。

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There have been recent protests by southern opposition supporters

The agencies blamed a "lethal⁴ cocktail⁵" of rising violence, chronic⁶长期的，慢性的 poverty and political tensions.

Sudan is due to hold a referendum全民投票 on independence for the oil-rich south in January 2011.

Britain has pledged £54m ($87m) in aid to help rebuild southern Sudan and prepare for general elections in April.

The peace deal five years ago ended a 22-year civil war that left some 1.5 million people dead.

It saw President Omar al-Bashir's northern National Congress Party (NCP) enter government with former Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) rebels from the south.

A key part of the deal was next year's referendum, in which it is widely expected that the south will vote for independence.

South 'deteriorating⁷'

In their report, the aid agencies cite disputes over Sudan's oil resources, national elections in April and the independence referendum as potential flashpoints闪点.

A return to conflict would have devastating⁸毁坏，摧毁 consequences extending far beyond south Sudan, they say.

The BBC's James Copnall in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, says the country is clearly at the start of a highly charged and risky⁹ 12 months.

However, he notes that unlike at the outset of开始，起初 previous crises, there is a heavy international presence in the country.

The military worth of the UN peacekeeping mission has yet to be tested, but nearly 10,000 military personnel are charged with keeping the peace, he says.

Sudan's ambassador to London, Omar Muhammad Siddiq, acknowledged that the situation in South Sudan was "deteriorating".

He said communities there were arming themselves and were fighting "tribal¹⁰ wars", mainly over the competition for scarce resources.

"The situation is not as good as we were expecting after the signature of the comprehensive peace agreement," he said.

However, he argued that the unrest would not affect the elections, in which he said parties and voters were preparing to participate.

British Foreign Office Minister Glenys Kinnock, who is due to visit Sudan, noted¹¹ that it was one of the world's poorest countries.

"They are doing disastrously¹², and that is reflected in the terrible poverty and relentless¹³ suffering of the people," she said.

But she added that fully-blown conflict could still be averted转开，避免.

"I think we still have time to ensure that we do see a peaceful, stable Sudan being built around the framework of an election and a referendum," she said.

"What we're asking is for the leadership of both sides, of the government of the South and the government of Sudan, [is] that they ensure that they talk together, they work together with the same motivation, which is to bring peace and security to Sudan."