S. Sudan: Oil discovered in Upper Nile State

OIL discovered in northeastern Upper Nile State, South Sudan.  Jonglei and Warrap identified as rich in oil reserves.

300 million barrels of oil have been discovered by a consortium commissioned by the government to do prospecting in the southeastern region of the country.  This sets in motion opportunities for more oil exploration licences from the government, as more areas are confirmed as oil rich.

Article from allAfrica.com

By ESTHER ROSE

Dated 22 August 2019

South Sudan: More Black Gold Struck - 300 Million Barrels, and Counting

Cape Town — 300 million barrels of recoverable oil has been discovered in South Sudan's northeastern Upper Nile state, by a consortium comprising the Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DOPC), which includes China National Petroleum Corporation, Petronas, Nilepet, Sinopec and Tri-Ocean Energy, according to the African Energy Chamber.

"This is a remarkable achievement for the country," said Nj Ayuk, Executive Chairman at the Chamber and CEO of the Centurion Law Group. "Since independence, South Sudan has worked tirelessly to bring back damaged fields to production, and especially encourage exploration".

South Sudan had earlier in 2019, signed an exploration and production sharing agreement with South Africa's Strategic Fuel Fund for the highly prospective Block B2. The move was part of South Sudan's strategy to diversify its basket of investors and encourage further exploration.

While the country sits on over 3.5 billion of proven oil reserves, the third largest in sub-Saharan Africa, 70% of its territory remains under-explored. Among those areas are Jonglei and Warrap, which has also been identified as rich in oil reserves.

South Sudan and Sudan are also in talks on cooperation to re-pump oil from South Sudan at a faster pace.

To boost exploration, South Sudan will be launching a new and much-awaited petroleum licensing round at the upcoming Africa Oil & Power conference in Cape Town on October 9th, 2019.

View original article here: https://allafrica.com/stories/201908220235.html

Further Reading

Critics Warn South Sudan to Be Wary When Signing Oil Deals

President Salva Kiir has received offers from agents of established companies, organizations and non-descript financing groups worth billions of dollars, that critics warn will ... Read more »

S. Sudan: Govt Signs 'Suspicious' Oil Agreements to Turn Economy Around

S. Sudan: Why Govt Continues to Fall Out of Favour With International Part

Map of oil concession areas in Sudan and South Sudan (Credit: Eric Reeves)

To view larger version click here: http://sudanreeves.org/category/maps/page/2/

WAR CRIME ALERT: UN peacekeeper slain in Abyei, Sudan/South Sudan. When will the ICC investigate?

Note from Sudan Watch Editor:  Two UN peacekeepers have been attacked in Abyei a contested region along the border of Sudan and South Sudan. According to the United Nations (UN) any attack on peacekeepers is a war crime. 

I am sad to note that on 17 July 2019 two United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) peacekeepers, conducting a routine patrol at the Amiet Market in Abyei, came under attack by unknown assailants with guns. One peacekeeper was killed while the other was wounded. Five civilians from Abyei were also killed in the incident, one was a child. The two peacekeepers are from Ethiopia.

Image credit: BBC News online

When I first started this site Sudan Watch 16 years ago, I chronicled every attack on peacekeepers in Sudan and South Sudan. But after the number reached 100, I stopped counting as it became too upsetting. The outcome of investigations were rarely reported, little was done by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the perpetrators were rarely brought to justice by the authorities in Sudan and South Sudan. 

How many people have been arrested and charged for attacking peacekeepers in Sudan and South Sudan? Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has been quoted as saying (see reports below) that the killing of a peacekeeper is a war crime that falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

In the name of all peacekeepers slain in Sudan and South Sudan and their families who must be still grief stricken, I hereby call on the ICC to investigate the deaths of all peacekeepers in Sudan and South Sudan. No matter how many years have passed, peacekeepers are special soldiers who risk their lives to protect civilians and help keep peace. I believe many had to work under Chapter 6 mandate, unable to fight back. 

If any person from the ICC is reading this: what has happened since the ICC's investigation into Haskanita? Enter the word Haskanita into the search box here at this site Sudan Watch or search for Haskanita online.

As this lengthy blog post includes two news reports covering an ambush in Jonglei, South Sudan in 2013, plus an extremely lengthy analysis by a Eric Reeves, a Sudan researcher based in the USA, I am reprinting reports on the attack in Abyei, and Eric’s commentary, separately, I'll add links to them here.  Eric's essay contains many details concerning approximately 50 attacks on peacekeepers in Sudan during 2008-2013. 

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Article from The Hindu

By Special Correspondent New Delhi

Published: April 10, 2013 01:45 IST

Updated: June 10, 2016 07:39 IST

Attack on peacekeepers a war crime: Ban Ki-moon

Photo: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.  

The bodies of the five Indian peacekeepers, who were killed in an ambush in South Sudan on Tuesday, are on their way to India by a special United Nations aircraft, even as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the killings a war crime and urged the African nation to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) also condemned the incident and reiterated its full support to the mission of which the Indian soldiers were a part.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed anguish over the killings. “I pay tributes to our brave soldiers,” Dr. Singh said in his message to the bereaved families.

The U.N. said the five Indian peacekeepers and two South Sudanese attached to the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and five civilian contractors were killed in an ambush in Jonglei, South Sudan’s largest state, where over 150 people were killed last month in a battle between the army and insurgents of a local rebel leader. Nine others were injured in the attack, and some are in critical condition.

Mr. Ban said the killing of peacekeepers was a war crime falling under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. He expressed his deepest condolences to the governments of India and South Sudan and the families of the peacekeepers, the staff members and the contractors killed in the attack.

The Security Council joined Mr. Ban in calling on the South Sudanese government to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/attack-on-peacekeepers-a-war-crime-ban-kimoon/article4599333.ece

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Article from The Hindu 

Published: April 10, 2013

Killing of peacekeepers a war crime: Ban Ki-Moon

Terming the killing of five Indian peacekeepers as a war crime, United Nations Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon has called on the Government of South Sudan to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) also condemned the incident and reiterated its full support to the mission of which the five slain Indian soldiers were a part.

According to the U.N., five Indian peacekeepers, two South Sudanese with the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and five civilian contractors were killed in an ambush in Jonglei state of South Sudan. Nine others were injured in the attack, and some are in critical condition.

Stating that the killing of peacekeepers is a war crime that falls under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, Mr. Ban said he was appalled by the attack on an UNMISS convoy on Tuesday.

The Secretary-General expressed his deepest condolences to the governments of India and South Sudan and to the families of the peacekeepers, staff members and contractors killed in the attack.

The UNSC also condemned the attack and joined Mr. Ban in calling on the Government of South Sudan to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The UNSC reiterated its full support for UNMISS and the troop contributing countries and called on all parties in South Sudan to cooperate with the mission. 

SOURCE: https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/killing-of-peacekeepers-a-war-crime-ban-ki-moon.244926/

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Further Reading

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General on the situation in Abyei

UN Press Release

Published: July 17, 2019

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2019/07/unisfa-peacekeeper-slain-in-abyei-sudan.html

UNISFA peacekeeper slain in Abyei, Sudan, S. Sudan

Image credit: BBC News online

UN Press Release

Published: July 17, 2019

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General on the situation in Abyei

The Secretary-General conveys his deepest condolences to the family of the deceased peacekeeper and to the Government and people of Ethiopia

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 17, 2019/ -- The Secretary-General is saddened by the incident that occurred earlier today at the Amiet Market in Abyei, during which two United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) peacekeepers, conducting a routine patrol, came under attack by unknown assailants. One peacekeeper was killed while the other was wounded. Five civilians from Abyei region were also killed in the incident.

The Secretary-General conveys his deepest condolences to the family of the deceased peacekeeper and to the Government and people of Ethiopia and wishes the injured peacekeeper a speedy recovery. He extends his sympathies to the families of the civilians killed.

UNISFA has deployed peacekeepers to the area to enhance security and determine the circumstances behind the attack.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations - Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

SOURCE 

United Nations - Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

https://www.africa-newsroom.com/press/statement-attributable-to-the-spokesman-for-the-secretarygeneral-on-situation-in-abyei?lang=en

Further Reading

WAR CRIME ALERT: UN peacekeeper slain in Abyei, Sudan/South Sudan. When will the ICC investigate?

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General on the situation in Abyei

UN Press Release

Published: July 17, 2019

Attack on peacekeepers a war crime: Ban Ki-moon

Article from The Hindu

By Special Correspondent New Delhi

Published: April 10, 2013 01:45 IST

Updated: June 10, 2016 07:39 IST

Killing of peacekeepers a war crime: Ban ki-Moon

Article from The Hindu 

Published: April 10, 2013

To read the reports above, click here:

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2019/07/war-crime-alert-un-peacekeeper-slain-in.html