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Sudan Tribune

Plural news and views on Sudan

Koch county commissioner urge government allow oil producing areas to benefiting on oil

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

December 21, 2012 (BENTIU) – Koch County in South Sudan’s Unity State suffers from inadequate infrastructures despite oil companies being based in area for a quarter of a century, according to the commissioner.

John Chuol Wang told Sudan Tribune on Friday that oil drilling companies have misused chemicals in Tharjath since 1997 operation in the area. Thousands of people and animals are confirms dead due to careless of oil companies environment management.

The civil war between Sudanese Army Forces with the former rebel the SPLA/SPLM the ruling party in South Sudan made development very difficult that displaced thousands of people in Unity State.

After 2005 peace deal between Khartoum and Sudan People Liberation Movement no change in term of environmental management according to Unity authorities. Koch County local people accuse the Sudanese Army Force of compelling people out of residents without refunding the oil.

John Chuol Wang commissioner of Koch County says more people die when oil company operation takes place. He believe civilians die every days when it comes to month of June when rain approach to fall, of which he says as a result of chemical pollution in the process of mixing up with water lead to death of people.

“We are seeing more people died without any reason or diseases, as leaders of this county we expect the oil company contributed to death and we are not sure whether the environment of oil in Tharjath is safe”, said Wang.

Koch County authorities and the traditional paramount chiefs demand services delivery from South Sudan government when oil resumption started. They accused Sudanese government of torturing them during oil exploration in the area.

The county commissioner urges on the national government to study environmental situation in oil producing areas before operation beginning.

In decade of civil war struggle many people were forcefully to leave their residents by Khartoum regime with an influent from oil companies’ interest demanding for free area. Residents were demanding good roads, health centres for people to benefits in oil.

Isaac Rong Chieng paramount chief of Koch county saying the oil has operates for more than 10 years but no sign showing the oil come out from their ancestral land.

“When we are under control of Sudanese government, we have no voice or objection to claims something, but now since we get independent in 2011 we are proud with our government after making decision to close down oil production and we are hoping they deliver services to us than Khartoum government”, said Chieng.

He added that Sudanese governments were harshly torturing them while taking away their resources. But he hopes the new nation will change past implications for better future development on areas producing oil.

During Naivasha peace deal between Sudanese government and the South Sudanese, the oil producing states were given 2 percent. But the given percentage has no development to the society after six year peace implementation.

(ST)

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