Abyei: Waiting for Mr. Vraalsen
By Alsir Sidahmed
November 19, 2007 — Oil-related issues were and still one of the key areas of dispute between the CPA partners; and despite major breakthroughs like the establishment and operationalization of the National Petroleum Commission (NCP), but the SPLM continue to complain.
However, an independent body, the Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC), created by CPA to monitor implementation has a different story.
In its report completed last month, its chairman, the Norwegian Tom Vraalsen, drew a positive picture on how CPA is being carried out as far oil sector is concerned. The report covers all aspects of CPA, but we concentrate here on the oil issues, which given its central role in providing income to government coffers, should have played a positive role in building and enhancing confidence between the two partners.
It has a timetable that covers four areas: the activity, timing of implementation, the executing body and the assessment and evaluation remarks.
On item of establishing NPC, the report said it was established, its internal regulations were adopted on April 19, 2007, a joint technical committee on oil revenue was formed and it is functioning and its secretariat is partially functioning because it is awaiting GOSS nomination of some staff.
As for the consultation and participation of communities in the management of natural resources, the AEC report found out that some consultation have taken place. However, a systematic community consultation program is to be developed.
Regarding existing oil contracts and SPLM appointing a technical team to have access to those contracts, the step was completed. A process regarding access to contracts with social and environmental problems is underway. Another process that is ongoing deals with persons whose rights have been violated by oil contracts should be able to seek remedy.
A formula for sharing oil revenue has been established and revenues are being divided according to it. That was the assessment for the item concerning defining net revenue from oil.
Another two items were clearly completed: one was to reveal to SPLM production sharing formula between GOS and oil concessions and the other agreeing on a mechanism to monitor oil revenue stabilization account.
As for agreeing on the annual benchmark price for oil and establish a system to calculate and monitor net oil revenue, the AEC report described these as a continuing process.
However, two items are partly pending resolving the Abyei issue. They are transferring of 2 percent of producing states share of the net revenue. Though it is done on continuing basis, but entitlement to oil revenue for Bahr El-Ghazal, Abyei, Dinka Ngok and Misseirya have not been established because Abyei border has not been agreed upon. The same applies to transferring of the 50 percent of GOSS net oil revenue.
In sum, aside from issues related to Abyei, which is a political problem, AEC report gives the impressions that sections regarding oil were carried out in good faith.
In his foreword to the report, it chairman Vraalsen said the document represents a collective effort by AEC to take stock of the CPA implementation. He added that, “significant progress has been achieved by the parties…The CPA is a bridge between two parties, which have been in conflict for many years. They are presently involved in no less than political nation-building. This is a daunting task under the best of circumstances.”
In the current atmosphere of accusations and counter accusations between CPA partners regarding the agreement violations, it is the task for Mr. Vraalsen to make his report known to all Sudanese people.
They deserve better, or at least a third, independent party telling them what is going on.
* Alsir Sidahmed, a free-lance journalist, media consultant and trainer, could be reached at: asidahmed@hotmail.com. He wrote this comment exclusively for SudanTribune.com., reproduction is not authorized.
Thomas A. Valter
Abyei: Waiting for Mr. Vraalsen
Alsir Sidahmed, you and your fellow northerners do believe that southerners can still be deceivable and so easily be bought like old uncles.
you should know that whatever keen northerners behaving will never again get us be united to them in such hazardous islamic world in Khartoum with its selfishness, independent socio-cultural islamized nation within Sudan of diversified communities.
If Khartoum is the one who hired Mr. Mr. Vraalsen, then how would you expect Southerners to be satisfied with positive results as your government is using our south oil for betraying us. Of course, an expert Mr. Vraalsen might have been bought by you to convince southerners of the pseudo-results.
It seemed from you statements that, you no more than defending your northern govenrnment.
But you will later sneeze your nostrils for having loosing us.
Kizth M.
Abyei: Waiting for Mr. Vraalsen
With due respect, there is this thing that I read between the line of most Northern writers, the tendancy to lean toward the government and protective atitude..
Alsir Sidahmed did not tell us anything new except to say that the Vraalsen report is something the Sudanese (southerners) should read EAC report and stop complaining. Alsir Sidahmed expect us southerners to be contend with what we are getting from the NCP.
What Alsir Sidahmed doesn’t know is that the whole issue is not about oil, but about the political partnership and goodwill. how does he expect SPLM to keep quite when the critical issues are always “pending” even in EAC report.
Surely, how do you mark the borders if one area is not known? how do you conduct census when borders are not known. yet Alsir Sidahmed think that we should stop complaining because our oil share is flowing to the South.
Most media report has been focusing on the Southern expenditure and how they (southern Sudan) received huge amount of money and yet no development. I am amaze that the that now EAC report is speaking like Southern Government, that census can not be done overnight and that the border demarcation needs time.
Strangely, we never hear of what percentage remains with central government and what they do with it? buying weapons and buying houses and palaces in Malysia? Of course the press in the North can not write about the North because nobody is corrupt in Northern Sudan since all the Southerners who were source of corruption have moved to the south. SO NCP ministers are angels.
Or is the press afraid of mob attack organise by the National Security?
Yet, execellent journalist like Alsir Sidahmed are only left with Southern Sudan to bit at and turn around in their writing. Pick up a newspaper in Khartoum and read nothing. Even the Darfur bandits are not reported properly except some soldiers disappearing in the desasert somewhere. why? nobody knows..
Alsir Sidahmed, you need to read the EAC as a sudanese and as a jurnalist who present the objective. but if you read it as an emotional support of the government, you run the risk of meeting people like me.. of course not always, but sometimes.
Samani
Abyei: Waiting for Mr. Vraalsen
Kizth and Ocho your replies are both mature and appreciated. I am just concerned with the way and tone of voice with which some writes responed. I agree with Mr. Ocho saying, people need to respect everybody’s views. In the world of democracy we are born to differ .. ! But we do it with respect to the opposite side, not hatred and racist remarks. Volter comments might not be the best example but i have seen worse, and i just wanted to point that out.
I also wanted to discuss how some people blindly accept and emotionaly follow the SPLM leadership. How is that a democracy if you dont question your leadership? Any moderates or people with an opposing opinion are labeled as traitors or northern sympothizers or payees.
Some claim that the north is run by militant arab muslim extremist dictators ! How, when the north is composed of hundereds of tribes, just like the south. But to some degree we live in harmoney and are mixed. Not only arabs, but many tribes with thier own dialects and languages (My owns cousins mother is from a southern tribe). You focus on bashir as a dictator ! Thats a joke ! I might not personaly like him or disagree with alot of things he believes in, but he is no dictator. Is he or the government corrupt? probably. Yes Kizith weapons and houses are probably bought, but we see a booming economy (i wish it was the same for the south) and with that comes internal and extrenal corruption.. We atleast question these. Do you your own leadership?
The south, mainly one tribe has been and is still trying to dictate the future of the rest (i think). There isnt a genuine intertribal mixing or marrying amongst southern tribes. Would all southerners be happy with any leader from the south? i doubt that, his ethnicity would be an issue (esp if he was from a smaller/less dominant tribe). Seperation would spell another genuine rawanda in africa.