3 - Local Relations of Oil Development in Southern Sudan: Displacement, Environmental Impact & Resettlement

Summary

The official end of fighting between the Government of Sudan and the SPLM/A marked a halt to the egregious human rights abuses, including massacres and mass civilian displacement, associated with Sudan's oil sector. But a significant improvement in the quality of life for local people in and around the oil areas remained elusive. Instead, old problems, including the destruction of property, uncompensated land expropriations and environmental pollution, have persisted, serving to fuel resentment against the oil companies, which have been accused of complicity in the abuses committed during the war. This chapter examines local experiences and conditions in Southern Sudan's oil-bearing regions, particularly after the October 2002 ceasefire, which culminated in the signing of the CPA in January 2005. It focuses on the local relations of oil operations, rather than the role of the national or Southern governments, arguing that the situation of local people has remained precarious mainly because of the failure of oil companies to comply with all the terms of the CPA.

What is particularly troubling for local communities is the failure of oil companies to properly consult and involve them in their activities. Rather, during the post-war period, oil companies have boosted their own activities without regard for the safeguards of local communities, resulting in worsening hardships in the oil areas and deepening distrust of oil activities. Consequently, the livelihoods of many local people, particularly returnees, have been disrupted.