Like the conflict in Sudan, hostilities in Chad exist largely between the Arab-Muslim north and a Christian-African south. The country's post-independence history has been marked by a number of coups and shifts in power, although control has usually remained with 'northern' leaders. In 2003 Chad was declared an oil producer, however, instability from Darfour led to a re-escalation of the conflict. A peace agreement was signed in 2005, but 2006 was a particularly bloody year.