SSUDA says White Nile has one week to leave South Sudan oil field

July 13, 2007 — The South Sudan United Democratic Alliance (SSUDA) is earnestly requesting the British White Nile Oil Company to respect the decrees issued by President Omar Al Bashir and Vice-president Salva Kiir in May that ordered the company to cease oil exploration in Southern Sudan. Since then, the White Nile Company has resumed digging of oil in Block B in Ayod County of Jonglei State in defiance of presidential decrees although it was made abundantly clear by the presidency that the contract signed between late John Garang and the White Nile chairman, Phil Edmonds, is illegal within the framework of the CPA.

The SSUDA/SSDF has made repeated efforts to persuade the White Nile to stop its activities, but to no avail. We brought the issue to the attention of Phil Edmonds that the Sudan’s National Oil Commission under the leadership of President Bashir and his Vice-president Kiir had taken irreversible decision. Regrettably, the White Nile seems to ignore the laws of the Sudan and has paid no regard to the decrees issued by the presidency.

It is now clear that there are some elements within the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) who are misinforming Phil Edmonds that the Company should not pay attention to the presidential decrees, which ordered the Company to leave the country. We would like the White Nile Board of Directors to know that it is illegal in any country to disregard presidential decrees. In United Kingdom, Phil Edmonds may be charged with a criminal offence if he defies an executive order from the Prime Minister Office. The same thing is true for Sudan.

The SSUDA/SSDF has given White Nile Company one week to leave Block B. Failure to do so would lead SSDF’s military police to arrest the employees of the White Nile and bring them to justice for illegal mining of natural resources of another country without a license. Block B is currently under the control of South Sudan Defense Force (SSDF), a military wing of SSUDA.

We would like to assure the British people that the White Nile Company employees will be given proper justice in courts should they fail to abide by the deadline. However, it is in the best interest of the White Nile Company to adhere to the deadline in order to avoid any emotional distress that may be caused in the process of receiving justice for defying the laws of Sudan.

The leadership of SSUDA also warns those anti-peace elements within the SPLM who are now conniving with Phil Edmonds to undermine the leadership of Vice-president Kiir in the South. Any minister or public official in South Sudan who defies presidential decrees passed by President Bashir and Vice-president Kiir will risk being charged with treason and obstruction of justice. There are laws passed by the Interim parliament of Government of National Unity (GoNU) which regulate foreign firms investing in Sudan. Therefore, any foreign company that is asked to leave the country must do so rather than trying to stage a military coup like what the White Nile Company is attempting against the leadership of Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit in the South.

We therefore kindly request the leadership of the White Nile Company to leave Sudan as soon as possible. It is important for Phil Edmonds to leave peacefully rather than attempting to be charged with illegal mining of oil in areas under the control of sovereign state of Sudan.

For Contact

Mr. Peter Chuol Gatluak, Secretary General of SSUDA

Tel. (402)408-6352

U.S.A

Further Contact:

SSUDA/SSDF Secretariat

Khartoum, Sudan

Email: [email protected]