South Sudan should not rely barely on oil revenue
By Roba Gibia
April 24, 2007 — South Sudan in one hand is one of the richest regions in the south of the sub-Sahara desert with abundant natural resources, vast fertile and virgin lands, if it is utilized, would produce variety of agricultural products sufficient for local consumption and surplus for export. But unfortunately due to the lack of stability, potentiality and funds, these plentiful natural resources are not yet utilized on the great scales to the benefit of its inhabitants. And on the other hand south Sudan is one of the poorest regions in the south of sub-Sahara desert which had been eroded by the civil war since fifties, and has never seen in its entire life a spectacle of light but absolute darkness. Unfortunately, when the oil production and export started in late nineties from wells in south by Khartoum regime, was anticipated to diminish the region’s torment but instead it added more fuel and tainted the war tone and its scope, as many innocent civilians around the oil fields were torched and some were displaced and abducted. And the oil production areas were conserved and heavily guarded by the Sudan Armed Forces, PDF and militias. Therefore, the oil exploitation in Sudan or southern Sudan has never brought virtuous omen but an ominous omen to the south Sudanese people, as across the northern border you can watch people leading vivid life while inside southern frontier, there is misery, lamentation and starvation. Thus, many South Sudanese considered the oil exploration in south as a curse, due to its ruinous and negative impact on their life, but is it really nuisance or blessing from God? I believe it is God’s remuneration to its oppressed servants, but due to the human spitefulness and gluttonous, it turned around to be a source of discord, detestation and calamity. And that is precisely what is taking place now over the oil rich areas of Abyei and north-south boundary demarcation which continues to influence Naivasha peace accord negatively.
Therefore, since signing peace agreement and formation of government of national unity and GoSS, the row over volume of oil production and share continues to muddle the two partners, NCP and SPLM, and remains primary focus and concern of the south Sudanese people on one hand, and on the other there is fear that the gateway for resumption of hostilities between Khartoum and south would be the oil. As at this juncture, the oil producing areas are still under the control of Sudan Armed Forces and its proxy militias instead of Joint Integrated Units, which obstructs the peace implementation in those areas as well as the return of local population to their respective locations, and beside that the local natives are deprived from the basic services and are subjected to the continued pestering by the Khartoum security apparatus. Thus, in my view, the continued occupation and staffing of Sudan Armed Forces and militias in the oil rich areas is inevitably going to jeopardize the tiptoeing peace, and also going to be the enticing phenomena to the Khartoum’s faithfulness in the peace execution. And that is evident, as we talk today south Sudan has no privilege inside the oil production and exports facility contracted and run by Khartoum, no oil refinery built or proposed to be built in south and Southerners has no job opportunities in the oil sector or oil areas controlled by Khartoum, while it is within their land! Is this not imperialism, repression and deprivation, term it as you like but the fact remains unchanged. Hence, here you can envisage the intricacy and magnitude of the oil conflict and the desire to overrun it, but always remember that the burly survives and the feeble dies.
Thus, if one is observing closely the events in Sudan, will conclude that it is utterly insanity and phobia of domination, and it is sad to say that things in Sudan are different all together, in spite of its copious natural resources, but due to the Khartoum’s dominion over the Sudan, the NIF/NCP has squeezed its control in every corner of the country to serve its interest, that is the poor and weak are made to serve the rich and strong without any desire to reform the life of the grassroots. Thus, the human righteousness has been subjugated and hijacked and replaced by vexation, grumble and lamentation. And even though SPLM’s initial resistance, it finally gave credibility to one of the most discriminative and disreputable regimes in Khartoum, with the hope that it may desist from its wicked etiquette and ideology and accept the reality of Sudan’s diversity! But that seems to be far reaching, as at this juncture Khartoum continues to segregate and keep fit over its partners in government, humiliating them like the carnage of Mini Minawi members in Khartoum as well as beating and detention of high SPLA commander on false accusations.
This premeditated stratagem and subterfuge of Khartoum is to deflect the peace partner’s concentration from the principal and core problems of the country to the trivial and silly issues. The partnership and the so-called government of national unity supposed to work hand-in-hand for the interest of the country regardless differences of the opinion, as far as the two parties have accepted the recipe of the partnership. As according to the Interim Constitution of Sudan, the President is supposed to tackle the national issues in consultation with the First and Second Vice Presidents, but not one-sided decision, as the one man show decision doesn’t mirror the harmonized aspiration of the national unity but rather explicitly the national disunity. This is the sad verity of our government which was supposed to sermon the unity and tolerance as its obligation towards the Sudanese people without any sort of prejudice. And I only hoped that our government should embark more vigorously on inspiring economic projects to sponsor peace. Unless there is progress in the economic development in the war ravaged areas, there will not be a peace in Sudan. Stimulation of economic projects is part of peace implementation but not modernization of Sudan Armed Forces capability at the expense of the economic prosperity. Thus, the government of national unity and GoSS has to start on priority basis renovation of some vital agricultural schemes in the war torn areas, instead of depending barely on oil revenue. As there are some essential agricultural schemes in south, if it is reinstated it will certainly reshape the living conditions of the people at their respective areas, and it will display government’s pledge to equitable distribution of wealth and development, such as Melut Sugar Factory, Renk Agricultural Scheme, Wau Canned Factory, Upper-Talanga Tea Project and Nzara Agro-Industrial Complex and many others.
Since formation of GoSS, there have been talks of renovating miscellaneous projects in south, but without any specific plan, time-frame and budget allocation to the most imperative schemes and besides that, it has never been taken seriously because of oil revenue which has become the main concern of the both administration whether being in Khartoum or Juba, without visualizing as how south Sudan would look after a decade, by oil revenue alone or by investment in agricultural and other projects? In my view, agricultural projects are the key aspect to the south Sudan affluence if it is precisely planned and managed, it will change the face of south Sudan within couple of years. Hence, in the recent visit of FVP Salva Kiir to Yambio and Nzara, I projected that he would cheer the citizens of Western Equatoria State by pronouncing that, the government has allocated x million US dollars to reinstate the Nzara Corporation and that the renovation will start at once and will be completed within x year(s). But regrettably that never occurred, and instead the President of GoSS directed that the facility must be renovated and taken over by the Ministry of Industry and Mining, GoSS, and will contact authorities in Khartoum about the outstanding unpaid salary for workers at Nzara corporation. This is the First Vice President of the Sudan and supposed to be the second powerful man in the country, and during his visit to the firm donated ten thousand US dollars to the Nzara workers! But never specified as when the renovation will start, it remains indistinct. Thus, I would like to emphasize and reiterate here that, restore Nzara corporation and will generate its wages and revenue in due time, it is not squandering but lucrative investment for tomorrow. Nzara Agro-Agricultural or Industrial Complex was one of the successful experimental schemes in the south under the successive Khartoum government, designed to raise the social and economic standard of the Azande population in particular and Western Equatoria citizens in general. But the workforce at the scheme composed almost entire ethnic groups in Sudan without any discrimination, whether being from west, east, central Sudan or north and had spinning and knitting technicians from India and Egypt, but was later replaced by south Sudanese technicians.
In spite of south Sudan’s abundant natural resources but was held back by the lack of potentiality and continued conflicts and deliberate desertion by consecutive Khartoum governments in one hand, but on the other it is being pinched and drained by Khartoum and considered as fortune treasury for the advance of Khartoum. And that was obvious, as under the central system all south Sudan’s revenues from agricultural projects, post offices, forestry and taxation had to be transferred to Khartoum, and was never used for the development in south! Now South Sudanese and its administration have got the golden opportunity to devise and build south Sudan’s infrastructure and economic foundation, and that is South Sudan’s contemporary challenge, accomplish it or kick the bucket!
Roba Gibia is a Sudan Tribune columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]