April 15, 2009 (WASHINGTON) – Jarch Management Group, Ltd., a US investment firm, disclosed that it is considering additional opportunities to lease large tracts of farmland in Southern Sudan.

This report follows the announcement in January of a massive lease agreement that prompted some tension within governing circles in Southern Sudan.

In an apparent change of course from oil investing to agriculture, Jarch Management took a 70% interest in the Sudanese company Leac for Agriculture and Investment and leased approximately 400,000 hectares of land claimed by General Paulino Matip, a figure now straddling a deep fissure within the Sudan People’s Liberation Army.

In a statement emailed to Sudan Tribune today the company disclosed that it aims to lease another 400,000 hectares of land by the end of the year.

“Since its January 2009 announcement that it had leased about 400,000 hectares, the Company has had a multitude of offers to buy and lease farmland from around the world,” said a statement from the management of the company.

“However, the Company is focused on frontier African countries and continues to look for opportunities in farmland and other natural resources in these countries. As such, the Company hopes to conclude more deals for more leased farmland. The Company is hopeful that it can lease at least another 400,000 hectares of land by the end of the year.”

South Sudanese law requires that large leases of land be approved by two local government bodies. Accordingly, a January statement from Leac Company noted that the acquisition would include dealings with local land authorities and stressed that “the state and local governments shall have budgets for development because of the cash flows from the agricultural schemes the two companies will operate.”

While U.S. companies are banned from doing business in Sudan, agriculture in Southern Sudan is exempted from sanctions provided that the national government does not have any stake in the business and provided that no imports or exports pass through non-exempt areas.

Jarch Management Group, Ltd, which is registered in the Virgin Islands, is managed by New York investor Philippe Heilberg, commodities traders and former State Department and Central Intelligence Agency officials, among others.

(ST)

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16 April 2009 08:34, by Ben-Fu

This Jarch Management will fools Nuers leaders in to selling their land for few bucks, for empty promises and it will be too late when you signed a least with them.
- 16 April 2009 12:50, by Gatwech
  
  Ben-fu,
  
  I don’t blame you because you don’t understand the meaning of the word "lease’ or you could not read the contents of the agreement. If all our leaders were to attract real investment like the Leac for Agriculture, people like you would not cry of hunger. The whole of South Sudan could be turned into a basket full of all types of food commodities. But if you are just another tribal and jealous fellow, I am sorry. Otherwise, learn the difference between ’buy’ and ’lease.’
  - 16 April 2009 14:50, by Saaid Nafe
    
    Be careful in such agreement otherwise we will end up in problems with those supper power companies like what is know happening to Robert Mogabe in Zimbaboye.I would rather advice our leaders that such an agreement should not be left to the local authority and the state Government alone. Such agreement should be in the level of national Government (Goss) and by good planners, only state authority should be counsel for further internal approval for the piece of land and for how long the company should use.
    I would like also to say here that same companies may discover a valuable minerals in a piece of a land than they may apply to use it in a different purpose meanwhile they know it. In such case we need good planners to include in the agreement for immediate evacuation of the company in that land otherwise it will be a southern Sudan case not a state problem.
    Please be careful in such agreement example was clear in chiefs agreement in 1947
  - 16 April 2009 18:25, by Wiyual Wech Puk D. Payol.
    
    Hello,Gatwech forget that tribal person who always insulting Nuer as whole with out any cause.i hope the boy could not know the difference between words like buy,lease,sell or incur because he may not be a businness student or sometimes he may be from a John Garang Bor loss boys and now street boys in America.
- 16 April 2009 18:19, by Wiyual Wech Puk D. Payol.
  
  Do you know Nuer Land? it is fertile and blessed land that should not be sold.i prefer Dinka to sell their land because these are the people who use to steal in south sudan and love money more than any other tribe in the south sudan.could you please,remove that marginal tribal idealogy in your mind and think again intellectually?

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