Oil and War in Sudan: the Role of Carl Bildt and Co.

Keith Morgan

Lundin provided both the reason and resources to the armed forces of the government of Sudan to wage war against civilians.

A recent report confirmed that the Lundin Oil Consortium led by the Swedish Oil Company Lundin Oil AB had caused enormous loss of human lives and destruction of property in Sudan. Due to the oil exploration, over ten thousands people died and almost two hundred thousand were violently displaced. The start of oil exploration by Lundin in 1997 set of a vicious war in the area.  The case of Lundin in Sudan could be taken as the most telling and convincing testimony of the link between oil and destructive civil wars in Africa. It is an incredible proof that greed leads to gross human rights violations and perpetuation of international crimes. Lundin provided both the reason and resources to the armed forces of the government of Sudan to commit crimes against humanity.

The infrastructure built or commissioned by the Consortium enabled the armed forces to reach the rural population and attack the civilians that lived there.Lundin signed a contract with the government for the exploitation of oil in the concession area called Block 5A that was not at the time under full government control. And all this happened at a time when some of the currently prominent politicians in Sweden, such as the foreign minister Carl Bildt served as Board of Directors of Lundin Oil. Lundin signed a contract with Khartoum and proceeded with oil exploitation at the time when Sudan was in the middle of a civil war and the company was confronted with reports that their infrastructure was assisting international crimes.

More disconcerting is the role played by Carl Bildt and Co. who now claims to care about human rights violations in Africa and elsewhere. This brief is specifically concerned with the following:
1.    There should be an investigation into the role of the Lundin Consortium in the oil war in Sudan
2.    The leaders of the oil companies that made up the Consortium and their respective governments should be questioned and interrogated; and are yet to account for their failure to act
3.    The victims have the right to compensation

Compensation need to be paid to the victims of the atrocities but this will not be just enough; justice should be served by bringing those involved in the governance of the Consortium to trial. And serious efforts should be done in this regard. This is crucial to respect the rights of the victims but also as a prerequisite for lasting peace. In these circumstances, a public dialogue between a range of stakeholders including the government of the region, the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority for Development/IGAD/,and NEPAD,civilsociety,business and academia, can play an important role. This discussion forum is an attempt to initiate such a dialogue. It can provide political and intellectual leadership in framing the preconditions for justice and lasting peace in Sudan and the region, focusing on the necessary consensus around oil and war, compensation, accountability, and the full range of justice and human rights issues that need to be incorporated into the relations between Africa and the oil companies and their home governments as well. This also calls for serious decisions on the part of Africa’s regional organisations.

It is an important opportunity to debate and interpret the findings of the report by the European Coalition on Oil in Sudan/ECOS/ which conducted the study into the destructive role played by Lundin Oil. It is available at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and www.ecosonline.org. The report titled Unpaid Debt: the Legacy of Lundin details all aspects of the crimes committed by Lundin Oil in Sudan. It could serve as an important departure point to debate the suggestions and recommendations of ECOS interms of the Commission on Human Security and analyse and apply them in the dialogue and relations with the North, where the diplomatic debate has long been dominated by considerations of development and narrower considerations of foreign aid. It will be the first attempt at a comprehensive review of the principles that govern relations between oil companies (and their governments) and justice and security in Africa.

Why did Lundin and its Board of Directors decided to start oil exploration while the country was in the middle of a civil war? This was done exactly at a time the government had a vast record of committing international crimes. Reportedly, company leaders had received credible indications that their decisions and actions would exacerbate war and contribute to violations of human rights.  Clearly, the army’s monopoly over the oil fields was seriously challenged and the government was desperate to secure external resources. Why did Carl Bildt and Co. failed to act? Is this a function of greed and profit? Why is oil a cause of much destruction and human rights violations? Or is the vulnerability to oil-led conflict related to the internal weaknesses of the states and the lack of strong regulatory framework? Is it due to lack of awareness and weak regard to respect of human rights in this part of the world? Or is it due to the absence of strong advocacy in support of African victims and the weakness of Africa’s regional organizations? If so, how this might be changing? And what needs to be done?