Norwegian group forms task force for oil committee in Unity State

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

September 12, 2010 (BENTIU) — The Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) met last Monday with Unity State authorities to discuss a number of challenges faced by the state citizens settling in the areas of oil exploration. Jamus Joseph, Land and resource Rights Adviser to NPA, told Sudan Tribune that they are rendering capacity building and agricultural skills to the Government of Southern Sudan.

Joseph said their visit to the Unity State is to follow up on an oil conference conducted in 2008 and to implement the 2011 oil committees in the state. The task forces for oil committees which were formed in 2008 in the oil producing states aim to fight for the rights of those whose homes were demolished by the oil companies, to compensation.

Gatkuoth Duop Kuich, former Southern Sudan legislature and chairperson of Sudan Oil Human Security Initiative (SOHSI)
said that their coordination with government is to ensure that citizens and oil companies have a good relationship.

Kuich urged the state government to protect the civilian’s rights by having proper negotiations with oil companies carrying out
operations in their region.

“There are chemicals which are used during oil drilling which can be harmful to the citizen, we therefore need the government to
give a proper guide to the companies in order to avoid the death of people and animals,” said Kuich

NPA will focus on environmental issues, employment and capacity building with people most affected by the oil companies. Joseph said his organization is going to put pressure on the state governments with oil extraction experiences within their locality, to ask the oil companies to train the local people to work in the drilling process.

Joseph said the important thing is to set up proper relationships between the local people and the oil companies in the
states. They have formed task forces for oil committees in Jonglei State which is responsible for the human security in areas where oil extraction is taking place. He added that the same project will be implemented in Unity State, which is Sudan’s richest in oil, by 2011.

(ST)