Oil company celebrates South Sudan independence in Unity state
March 4, 2011 (BENTIU) – The White Nile Petroleum Operating Company, which operates in South Sudan’s Unity state, held an event on Thursday celebrating the region’s independence. The South is due to become independent in July after an overwhelming vote in favour of separation in a referendum earlier this year.
The vote was agreed as part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended over two decades of civil war between southern rebels and the Khartoum government. Since the deal the main rebel group the SPLM shared power and oil with the Khartoum government and governed the South as an autonomous region.
After the CPA, oil companies operating in the South, continued to be run from Khartoum, but that is all set to change once independence of Republic of South Sudan becomes independent on 9 July.
White Nile Petroeum Operating Company held a celebration Thursday for the independence of South Sudan at its main oil field Tharjath in Koch
County, south of Bentiu. The event was themed “together we deliver,” as the oil company promised to build partnership with South Sudan for
peace and development.
Faruok Gatkuoth is the deputy chairman of WNPOC said, “We cannot stand a loop as a company operating in South Sudan seeing the people of South Sudan celebrating the creation of new nation, we said no we can’t stand hand tided, we must be also seeing celebrating together with people of south Sudan that is the main idea, and the main dream that we have as WNPOC, we are very happy today that we have transformed this in to reality”.
The company began operating in early 2001, well before the before the CPA. WNPOC is majority owned by PETRONAS, a Malaysian state-owned company. They bought the company from Lundin, a Swedish company. During Lundin’s tenure, tens of thousands of people in the oil block south of Bentiu were driven from their homes by government forces and militia loyal to Paulino Matip, who became the deputy chief of the southern army (SPLA) in 2006.
Some locals now complain that the oil waste water is polluting the area’s drinking water, and say almost none of the oil wealth has been used to develop their war ravaged homeland. At the event, WNPOC promised to deliver services and development to the local people, particularly the citizens of Unity State. They said that since the south will be independent, there will be a new system for company operations.
Unity governor Gatkuoth said: “We will still be there to support the state, we still are there to add to all what we have, to increase our energy and effort to increase the productions and communities development and name it”.
The South Sudan government says it will keep strong relations with the Khartoum government. Unity State governor Taban Deng said that oil is now what binds the two sides together as the only way to export and refine the oil is using pipelines and refineries in the North.
Deng said, “we will have future relation; it is very important there cannot be northern Sudan with South Sudan and via versa, we have lot in common and one of the commonality is where we are now, the issues of oil which very central to both nations, oil will continue to guide us and unite us serving the interest of both nations”.
The governor called upon young southerners who studied geology or oil production to consider working in the south’s oil industry. He said that the government would reverse, what he described as, the policy from Khartoum that all oil employees must come from the north. The governor added that those northerners currently employed by the oil companies will not lose their jobs, because their experience would assist the young new employees from the south.
(ST)
Bol Deng
Oil company celebrates South Sudan independence in Unity state
Why do we waste time with greedies?
“They bought the company from Lundin, a Swedish company. During Lundin’s tenure, tens of thousands of people in the oil block south of Bentiu were driven from their homes by government forces and militia loyal to Paulino Matip, who became the deputy chief of the southern army (SPLA) in 2006.”
Liberator
Oil company celebrates South Sudan independence in Unity state
Deng Alor Kuol & your brother: Arop Deng Kuol( GOSS mission in Ethiopia)
Please Dinka-Arabs don’t called on all South Sudanese to stand with you when you & your brother have disrepected South Sudanese community in Ethiopia
Dear readers: please read this article below:
Southern Sudanese Communities Leaders calls for Dismissal of Mr. Arop Deng Kuol, GOSS Head of Mission in Ethiopia
MAR. 4/2011, SSN; The entire Southern Sudanese Communities in Ethiopia are calling for Mr. Arop Deng Kuol’s dismissal as GOSS Head of Mission in Addis Ababa over misuse of Diaspora money which was given by the South Sudan Referendum Taskforce
We the Southern Sudanese Communities in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa Pinydu Refugee camp and Sharakolo camp appeal to the President of GOSS to recall back Major Arop Deng Kuol as GOSS Head of Mission to Ethiopia. We don’t think that Major Arop Deng Kuol activities in Ethiopia are not servicing the national interest of South Sudan base on the following:
1. Mr. Arop Deng Kuol wrote a letter to the communities that they are not allowed to visit the GOSS Liaison office. Yes, we accept that and we instructed our members not to visit GOSS Liaison office in Addis Ababa, until Mr. Arop leave Ethiopia or GOSS office.
2. The Referendum Task Force had given us 200,000 USD for referendum preparation and mobilization, instead Mr. Arop Deng Kuol took the money as a personal gift from his brother Deng Alor kuol, Minister of Regional Cooperation and also divided the money to these following institutions, which did not even ask for the money;
? Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, 20,000 USD for diplomatic recognition
? Embassy of Sudan in Ethiopia, 10,000 USD
? Economic Commission for Africa /ECA/ 10,000 USD
? GOSS Liaison office staffs 20,000 USD as referendum gifts
? SPLA special branch 5,000 USD
? Arop Deng Kuol a Head of Mission, 30,000 USD
? All Southern Sudanese communities who have voted 100% received none
We, the Southern Sudanese Communities in Ethiopia have worked so hard to mobilize our communities throughout the Ethiopia and communities unanimously voted 100%. But our contribution has been denied by Mr. Arop Deng Kuol who was supposed to support referendum activities for the fact that the people he represents the GOSS in Ethiopia.
For the last 6 years, Mr. Arop Deng Kuol has succeeded to convince the GOSS and the Office of the of the President of GOSS that these communities are Nuer Ethiopian and denying the existence of Southern Sudanese. However, the referendum has shown that these people are Sudanese and have voted 100% for separation and it is a shame for Mr. Arop and his tribesmen in the Ministry of Regional Cooperation.
We have been patient enough to let Mr. Arop play this game for a long time. It is time for our community to act on this matter as soon as possible, if the GOSS doesn’t take any actions.
Mr. Arop Deng Kuol as GOSS Head of Mission did not help our communities during the referendum registration and voting period. When we asked the Liaison Office to assist the communities, the answer we got from him is that, write a letter to Dr. Riek Machar in Juba to send your money.
Mr. Arop Deng’s activities as a GOSS diplomatic representative are doing a lot of damage for our bilateral relations with Ethiopia. His activities has been known by many Ethiopian officials in the ministry of Foreign Affairs as a trader in Ethiopia and his relationships with the communities he is supposed to represent is not good as a diplomat.
We call up on the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request the GOSS to recall back Mr. Arop as soon as possible because his activities are damaging our present and future bilateral relations. Therefore, your immediate action will be highly appreciated by our communities.
We are also appealing to the leadership of 2011Referundum Task Force to send delegations to Addis Ababa as soon as possible to resolve the issue of money with the GOSS Liaison office.
Finally we call upon on H. E the President of GoSS Salva Kiir Mayardit to show a statesmanship to our people and to the world that he is able to lead the New Republic. These corrupt individuals like Mr. Arop Deng Kuol are not serving your government’s interest and this will create more enemies to your leadership.
SIGNED BY:-
1. Paulino Gatluak Biel South Sudan Student Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
2. John Tibang Lual SPLM Chapter Secretary for Political Affairs, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3. Nhial Abol Nhial, Referendum Representative
4. Juac Bol Bichok, Pinydu Referendum Camp Representative
5. Obong Othiw, Sharakol Refugee Camp Representative
CC: Office of the President of GOSS,
CC: Office of the Vice-President, GOSS
CC: Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs
CC: Minister of Information, GOSS
CC: African Union, Addis Ababa
CC: Economic Commission for African ( ECA)Head of Commission
CC: Sudanese Ambassador to Ethiopia.
CC: South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission
CC. Addis English Daily Reports
Any Nuer Soldier should not fight and died for this land called abyei..let Deng Alor & his brother Arop Deng Kuol plus the traitor Dr, Francis Deng majok fight for it.
Stephen Gatloth K
Oil company celebrates South Sudan independence in Unity state
Only to the article,Gatloth Gai in Bentiu.
What a shameful thing!!With the exception of Eng.Faroug Gatkuoth,the rest of cellebartion `s attendents were there for the sack of getting money and stomach food from WNPOC.
Present of WNPOC in Tharjath is very distructives to the human life especailly in Jegai,but very significance to some people including the governor himself.
Jegai have been and still crying of being comtaminating by WPOC but the state governor led the deaf ear to Jegai. Provides that he getting his share from company.
May Almighty God help Jegai amen.