You've got me puzzled Fred, from the very next sentence in the article you quote the writer says
"The government of Sudan uses such local militias in its campaign to wipe out Christians and to secure their oil-rich lands in southern Sudan."
If he sees that this is has been trumped up as a religious war, why are you disputing him ?
Well, if it was the Christians driving the muslims out and committing packrapes and cutting off the breasts of muslim women I might have thought more deeply about it, but seeing it's the same old same old I just didn't think it was worth the bother...like you said, it's all about oil, nothing to do with islam. Pardon me while I throw up.