Encourage Western companies back to Sudan - Sudan Oil & Gas Summits London Nov 2005 and Dubai Jan 2006

Sudan's government and rebels have eliminated millions of people from their country. Poor Sudanese folk without land or property ownership rights are no longer in the way of progress. Sudan's government and rebels are now free to capitalise on the country's natural wealth without first providing decent security forces to maintain law and order and enable displaced citizens to own their own property and land, grow their food, make a living and raise their families.

Read the below copied articles and see how Sudanese powermongers who stole power through the barrel of a gun are now free to have oil and gas summits in London and Dubai. Great eh? Spread the word for genocidal dictators and rag bag rebel groups throughout the world to hear the news: genocide pays big dividends.

It has taken me sixteen months of blogging about Darfur to realise that it was wrong of activisits putting pressure on Western companies to pull out from the Sudan. Had the big Western companies still been there, Western activists could have brought pressure to bear on the companies and UN Security Council to help Sudanese security forces install law and order and protect Sudanese citizens.

It seems to me, Western companies have no option but to get involved with Sudan's oil, gas and mineral exploration in a big way, otherwise countries like China that put business before human rights, will continue to move in and exploit the region without putting anything back that helps the poor locals. In fact, I would go as far as to say Western companies should be encouraged to do business with the Sudanese government and donate a team of lawyers with expertise in property and land ownership rights.



An article at Albawaba.com today says, following consultation and partnership agreements with the Sudanese Ministry of Energy & Oil and Ministry of Investment, the Sudan Development Program has announced the official Sudan Oil & Gas Summit is to take place in London, in November 2005. Excerpt:

"The Minister of Energy & Oil, Alshreef Omar Badr wishes to bring the international oil industry together to work closely on the long-term development of Sudan's oil and gas infrastructure. The first step identified by the Ministry of Energy & Oil is the raising of production rates to 1.5 million barrels per day.

With recent surveys in Sudan indicating an abundance of oil reserves (estimated to be around two billion barrels) and a high rate of success in drilling operations, the untapped potential of Sudan is clear.

An official Sudanese government delegation will be present at the conference in London; this will be led by Awad Ahmad Al-Jaz, Minister of Energy & Oil and Alshreef Omar Badr, Minister of Investment. The conference will also welcome the chairman of the Sudanese National Petroleum Corporation, Musa Raud Al-Tekanna. The delegation has expressed its desire to "meet with international companies committed to offering their goods and services, forming partnerships and promoting investment opportunities".

Note, the article ends by saying:

"Despite the need for massive infrastructural improvement and the many difficulties encountered by Sudan in recent years, Sudan has maintained a respectable economic rate of growth. Now, with the shared government agreement and the pledging of $4.5 billion to redevelop the country at an April donors meeting in Oslo, the country is well placed to exploit its huge reserves."

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Sudan Development Program looking to further Sudan's economic reintegration

Note the following copy of a MENA article August 17, 2005 about the inaugural Sudan Development Program summit, taking place in Dubai, UAE 9-11 January 2006, advertised as "an essential networking event, based on face-to-face meetings and will allow international companies to present their goods and services to Sudan's public and private sector companies".



With companies from across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and beyond looking to move into Sudan to exploit the vast opportunities within the country's various sectors, the Sudan Development Program is pleased to announce that the inaugural SDP summit will take place in Dubai in January 2006.

The announcement of the summit comes following months of progress throughout Sudan, with negotiations taking place between the north and the southern regions in Nairobi, Kenya in January 2005 and the subsequent accord signing in July 2005. Salva Kiir, the leader of southern Sudan, was recently sworn in as first vice president of Sudan, succeeding the late John Garang.

Since the signing of the agreement, international companies have eyed the numerous opportunities to be found in Sudan, within sectors as diverse as construction, oil, banking and agriculture, while a donors meeting in Oslo in April pledged $4.5 billion for the funding of projects in southern Sudan from 2005-7.

Enjoying support from the Sudanese government, the objectives of the Sudan Development Program are to promote Sudan as an attractive investment destination, to secure capital and trade partners for projects already underway and to aid the forming of relationships between business figures and key individuals within the Sudanese marketplace.

The Sudan Development Program will look to increase the number of development projects being carried out in Sudan; prospective projects include the construction of the Lokichoggio-Kapoeta-Juba Road and plans to build a railway to connect Sudan with the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

(c) 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com

Tags: UN land+rights Darfur Sudan activists oil human rights genocide rebels Sudan Development Program London Dubai UAE China Mombasa Uganda DR Congo anarchy