Friday, September 30, 2005

UN Security Council calls for Darfur peace deal by end 2005

The UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned the rise in violence and banditry in Darfur, stressing that only a political solution can achieve durable peace and reconciliation there.

In a statement to the press, the Council's president said UNSC members call upon the SLA, JEM and Government of Sudan to reach a peace agreement in Darfur by end of 2005 and for all donors to honour their Oslo pledges.
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Norwegian minister travels to Sudan to push for peace

Good news. The highly regarded Norwegian Minister of International Development Hilde Johnson will travel to Sudan to meet the new government and push for a nationwide peace, her ministry said Friday.

Johnson will visit Sudan's capital, Khartoum, on Oct. 1-4 to meet the government that took office on Sept. 15, as well as regional officials, her ministry announced.

"It is very positive that a new, unified government in Khartoum is now in place," she said in a statement.

"We expect the government to push ahead with carrying out the peace agreement, and work to create peace in all of Sudan."

Full report (AP/ST) Sep 30 2005.

Hilde Johnson

Photo: Hilde Johnson has been instrumental in helping peace to progress in the Sudan
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Note, the $4.5 billion development funding pledged by donors for South Sudan is dependent on peace in Darfur. It acts as an incentive for the warring parties to sign a peace agreement for Darfur in a similar way to Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in January by southern Sudan rebels and Government of Sudan.

No doubt all sides, including the UN and NATO, are acutely aware that eastern Sudan is not yet part of any peace deal. There must be a reason. Perhaps rebels in eastern Sudan will be brought into the peace talks currently taking place, one step at a time.

Northern Sudan is mostly populated by supporters of the Islamic regime in Khartoum and appears not to have much oil. Most of Sudan's oil seems to be in the south of the country. Sudan says there is an abudant oil in Darfur.

Some say there is oil to be explored on the Chad-Sudan border and Khartoum has plans to lay an oil pipe in Darfur.

Sudanese refugees flee Janjaweed Darfur

Photo: Sudanese refugees flee the Janjaweed militia in Darfur

[Photo courtesy Matt Tapie's blog in Texas from Sep 30 post Christians, We Must Not Forget Darfur]
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Sudan announces abundant oil discovered in southern Darfur

April 2005 UPI report says Sudan claims initial oil drilling operations in Darfur indicate there is abundant oil in the area. Excerpt:
Sudan Energy Minister Awad al-Jaz told reporters in Khartoum an oil field was found in southern Darfur and it is expected to produce 500,000 barrels of oil per day by August. Most of the country's oil production comes from oil fields in southern Sudan, where a peace treaty was recently signed between the government and rebels.

According to the accord, 50 percent of oil revenues from the south will go to the SPLM [the former rebel group of south Sudan], while the other half to Khartoum.

The country started exporting oil in August 1999.
Gas flaring

Photo: Gas flaring at an oil terminal of Eguatu, Warri-South, Niger Delta. (AFP/ST).
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Total to resume Sudan drilling operations soon

29 Sep 2005 Sudan Tribune report says French energy giant Total claims it would resume explorations activities in the Block Ba in southern Sudan very soon.

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2 comments:

IJ said...

The accounting nowadays for oil differs around the world. The Sudanese national government have agreed to split the revenues from oil fields in Southern Sudan with regional government, per your link. In Canada, the apportionment favours regional government even more.

Oil is owned by the province where it is located in Canada. Oil sands are the new source of wealth.
"Of the $885-billion (Canadian), about 70 per cent would stay in Alberta, the study says. About 10 per cent of that would benefit Ontario and about 10 per cent would trickle out to other countries."

The new Peacebuilding Commission of the United Nations will no doubt want to make rules for the ownership of resources.

Ingrid J. Jones said...

How interesting IJ, thank you. Sudan's new government of unity, in order to go form, agreed on Khartoum retaining responsibility for Energy. It is difficult to understand how this will work out, with a 50-50 split in oil revenues, if South Sudan, in six years time, votes to break away and create a New Sudan. Most of the oil is in South Sudan. Perhaps this is why Khartoum are fighting for Darfur where, as you point out, oil has been discovered. Note too fighting is also concentrated on the border of Chad where oil is rumoured to be. I can't help thinking the wars in Sudan - and particularly Darfur - all boil down to oil. Surely it is crucial that Sudan stays united. Any more links you have to reports on oil and Sudan would be much appreciated. Thank you.