RK/ J CR/ suda

7 January, 2002

The Rt Hon Peter Hain Esq MP
Minister of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Whitehall
London SWIA 2AH

SUDAN

The Sudan Committee in the Diocese of Salisbury has designated Ash Wednesday, 13th
February 2002, an Ecumenical Day of Action on Sudan. They have decided to initiate a letter-writing campaign. This has come to my notice because they have assumed their MP does not read the monthly diocesan newspaper!

In anticipation of this campaign, (and I hope you will find the forewarning helpful), I would be very grateful if you would let me have a standard letter which I can use appropriately (which includes posting on my website).

Correspondents will ask MPs to forward their letters to Ministers and to have those replies forwarded to them. The key point of the campaign is to say that people are deeply concerned about the Sudan because of our church links in the Diocese of Salisbury. We have had strong links for many years and I have written to Ministers on many occasions. Correspondents will say that their concern is for all the people, whether they are Christian, Muslim or from a traditional African religion.

I will be asked what is the British Government doing to secure peace in Sudan. I will also be asked what is the British Government doing to press for a suspension of oil extraction pending peace? They will allege there is convincing evidence that oil extraction is prolonging and intensifying the war .

Christian Aid is backing this campaign. They are calling for a suspension (not termination) of oil extraction in response to the consistent calls from church leaders across Sudan and of political leadership of the 'Southern Peoples'.

I would be very grateful for a considered and detailed response which I can forward to my constituents.

Your Reference: RK/JCR/suda
Our Reference: 407041/02

29 January 2002

Robert Key MP
House of Commons
SW1A 0AA

Thank you very much for letting me know of the imminent letter campaign by the Sudan Committee. I set out below our efforts to try and find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Sudan, and our policy on oil extraction there.

We continue to be deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, particularly in the south. Since 1991 Britain has pledged over £220 million to help with humanitarian crises in Sudan. We are continuing to support international charities and the work of the United Nations to meet urgent humanitarian needs. The main problem has not been the amount of aid donated, but ensuring that it reaches those in need. We have continued to urge all parties to give all possible help to the UN and NGOs to ensure speedy delivery of humanitarian assistance.

We think that the only way to end the suffering in Sudan is to help the parties bring an end to the civil war .We continue to urge both sides to immediately stop hostilities in order to create an environment conducive to negotiations and to engage in a continuous and sustained negotiation towards a just and lasting political settlement. Clare Short, the Secretary of State for International Development visited Sudan from 6-11 January .She was the first British Cabinet-level Minister to visit Sudan for over a decade and peace was at the top of her agenda. Ms Short discussed the peace process substantively with the full range of Sudanese political leaders, north and south. She concluded that the time was right for a major international effort to help the parties resolve Africa's longest running civil conflict. All those she met admitted their responsibility to engage in serious negotiation, and that there was now a window of opportunity. Ms Short stressed that we stood ready to play our part and pressed the SPLA/M in particular to set out their key requirements for a just peace. She also emphasised the potential economic benefits for all, and UK readiness to engage in development if stability can be achieved.

We have been active in promoting the peace process in a number of fora, including the European Union and the United Nations, and directly with all the parties to the conflict. The UK has long supported the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace process as the best chance to bring an end to the civil war in Sudan through a negotiated settlement. As an active member of the IGAD Partners Forum, we have been trying to revitalise the IGAD initiative, with which both parties have agreed to negotiate. It was hoped that the creation of a dedicated Secretariat would allow for a more sustained and accelerated negotiation to take place, although progress so far has been disappointing. However, things are now looking more positive following the appointment of Kenyan Lieutenant General Sumbeiywo, who has the full support of the Kenya's President Moi, as IGAD Special Envoy.

The worst affected area in Sudan has been the Nuba Mountains where there has been no access allowed for three years. However, as a result of the efforts of US Special Envoy, Senator John Danforth, with whom we are working closely, talks were recently held in Berne between the Sudanese government and the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA), aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the Nuba region. We were delighted to hear that the parties reached an agreement on 19 January. Under the terms of the agreement civilians will be allowed to move freely within the region currently held by the SPLA. There will be two demilitarised zones to allow the Nuba people to access fertile land, and humanitarian assistance will be allowed to enter the region by air. A Swiss-US military commission will supervise the ceasefire, which is one small but encouraging step towards peace.

We are aware of concerns about the oil industry in Sudan. The civil war in Sudan started decades before the oil project came on stream in 1999 and the concession areas are situated in or close to an area of longstanding conflict between pro and anti government Nuer militias. Thus, civilians in these areas are often caught in the middle of fighting pro-Government and rebel forces. It is not clear that oil has significantly affected this situation. Nevertheless, we have been monitoring the situation in the oil concession areas very closely and our Ambassador to Khartoum and other officials in his Embassy have been active in visiting them

We have raised concerns about the industry with the Government of Sudan and take them into account when providing advice to British companies. The FCO and DTI have no ongoing campaign promoting investment in the Sudanese oil industry , nor do we have any policy to halt commercial interests. We give full and frank advice. There is currently an EU arms embargo on the Sudan, which the UK helped to initiate in 1994. We implement this rigorously and expect it to remain for as long as the civil war continues.

We are also aware of concerns that revenues could be used to fund the ongoing war in the Sudan. We continue to raise this issue with the Sudanese Government which claims that it intends to spend oil revenues on development projects and that it will seek to do so transparently. We have stressed that such statements need to be backed up by actions and continue to urge the Sudanese Government of the need for transparency.

In case it helps keep your website updated, I have also asked that a copy of this letter is sent to you by e-mail.

Yours sincerely

Ben Bradshaw

RK/HCB/Benn

11th February 2002

Hilary Benn MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Department for International Development
94 Victoria Street
London SW1E 5JL

SUDAN

The Sudan Committee in the Diocese of Salisbury has designated Ash Wednesday , 13 th February 2002 an Ecumenical Day of Action on Sudan. In the Diocesan Newspaper they have initiated a letter-writing campaign to Diocesan Members of Parliament in which they are asking us to make representations to Ministers on their behalf. This I am happy to do.

The key point of the campaign is to say that people are deeply concerned about the Sudan because of our Church links in the Diocese of Salisbury .We have had strong links for many years and I have written to Ministers on many occasions. My constituents say that their concern is for all the people of the Sudan, whether they are Christian, Moslim or from a traditional African religion.

I have been in touch with Ben Bradshaw about the Government's broader foreign policy objectives in the Sudan. However, I wonder if you could help by explaining what is going on regarding oil exploration and extraction -which my constituents, backed by Christian Aid, believe is prolonging and intensifying the war? Christian Aid is calling for a suspension (not termination) of oil extraction in response to the consistent calls from Church leaders across Sudan and from the political leadership of the 'Southern Peoples'.

I would be very grateful for a considered and detailed response which I can forward to my constituents. Please let us know what development initiatives you are taking in the Sudan.

Robert Key MP
House of Commons
SW1A 0AA

Thank you for your letter of 11 February about Sudan.

Clare Short is in regular touch with Christian Aid and other church groups about Sudan and the need for peace. In fact she provided a briefing on 14 January. I attach a copy of the note. Her historic visit last month, the first cabinet Minister to visit Sudan for 14 years -and the first to the south since independence -succeeded in its prime objective of raising the international profile of the conflict. The Prime Minister recently announced the appointment of the UK Special Envoy. I enclose some details of UK support for Sudan from 1991 up to the present day which I hope will be helpful.

You mention that you have been in touch with Ben Bradshaw about broader UK foreign policy objectives in Sudan, and on the issue of oil exploration and extraction, I am sure Ben would be willing to give you a full response outlining FCO policy and the advice it offers to companies. If peace can be secured, then oil revenues will be used to develop the whole of Sudan.

We believe that the international focus must remain on the issue of peace now that there is a window of opportunity to make some real progress.

I am copying this letter to Ben Bradshaw.

NOTE OF MEETING WITH CHURCH GROUPS IN SUDAN

DATE: 14 JANUARY 2002      PLACE: 167 ASHLEIGH GARDENS
TIME: 1100

Background

1. The dialogue with the churches on Sudan and ways to promote peace continued with this meeting. It followed on from the previous meeting in DFID on 23 July (note attached}. The meeting was well timed as the Secretary of State had only just returned from a successful visit to Sudan 6-11 Jan.

Summary of discussion

2. The Secretary of State was pleased to have the opportunity to report first hand on her visit. Both sides had said they wanted to end the war: they accepted there was no military solution: another ten years and the people would be destroyed. It was hurting the south more. The Catholic and Anglican bishops she had met in the south were both despairing and did not believe the GoS wanted peace. The Secretary of State saw no alternative but to try. If the international community could inject some energy into the proceedings surely it was worth another effort? They had agreed but were deeply pessimistic. Sudan had been let down in the past.

3. In the north, the President, the two Vice Presidents and the Minister of Defence had all been keen for the UK to engage. They wanted peace. In the south they yearned for peace. The churches had done some excellent work in and around GoS-controlled Juba. The authorities there said Garang and co were their people after all and could not understand why they did not talk. The Secretary of State could see the agenda in the schools -served by displacement. At a secondary girls school there it seemed the price of a girl's secondary education in south Sudan was to learn in Arabic. The long-term attempt to draw people into Islam had been plain to see.

4. The Secretary of State said the visit had been useful in clarifying what the "bottom line" was for the SPLA in the peace process. Garang had been clear that state and religion was at the core. If a secular Sudan were not possible then there would have to be a confederal arrangement: that principle had to be agreed and meant. Then there would have to be a radical new constitution for the country. Garang was less troubled by wealth sharing issues. Oil was an opportunity: while the GoS used it to promote the conflict SPLA would oppose; but in the case of peace, all the people could benefit. On the issue of support for a cease-fire, Garang said that if state and religion and confederal arrangements could be agreed, SPLA would agree a cease- fire: then the people could have a referendum.

5. The Secretary of State said the US initiative (i.e. the Danforth tests) had been helpful and continued US engagement would be needed to help re- invigorate the IGAD process. Norway was also engaged and the Secretary of State had met her counterpart, Hilde Johnson, in Sudan. She had also briefly met some of the IGAD ministers who had also been in Khartoum for an IGAD summit last week: their support would be vital.

6. Two key questions emerged in discussion:

What made this effort different from those in the past?

This effort would try to apply co-ordinated international pressure for a just and
lasting settlement. This was the key. Sufficient pressure would mean International guarantees could be provided to the parties.

Would DFID provide development programmes to help the process?

DFID would try and improve what it already did and make it more effective. DFID would also help with Sudan's Poverty Reduction Strategy and help to strengthen the Ministries dealing with aid. We would also provide a modest fund for peace-building initiatives to the Embassy in Khartoum. But a development partnership could not resume before the conflict was resolved. Sudan owed $27 Billion. Peace would see the international community helping to deal with this and DFID would be willing to provide traditional support.

UK/US Church liaison

7. The Secretary of State re-iterated how important it was for the US to stay engaged and moderate. But this had been hard work for the Anglican

Bishops since the events of Sep 11 .The extreme church elements were in the ascendancy. Lambeth said that Archbishop George Carey had been in close touch with Anglicans and Catholics in the US. (The Archbishop was leaving in October: his engagement on Sudan was invaluable so the peace process needed to move fast) .David Ryall was in contact with the US Catholic Bishops who were totally committed to pushing for peace. They collaborated through CAFOD UK that acted as the Sudan Focal Point. The Secretary of State confirmed that she would be meeting Colin Powell in Tokyo later in the week and would raise Sudan and DRC.

SEF meeting 3-6 March.

CAFOD reported that Sudan was hoping to send seven delegates to the Sudan Ecumenical Forum to be held in London 3-6 March. The Secretary of State had agreed to address the Forum on 5 March and thought this was a further opportunity to get some attention for Sudan.

Finally

The group thanked the Secretary of State for her report and said how she had inspired them. They wanted to help and would stay in contact.

Tim Whiting
Sudan Desk, AGHD

UK Support for Sudan since 1991

The UK bilateral development programme to Sudan was terminated in January 1991 in the light of the policy and actions of the Government of Sudan on human rights, the civil war. Meanwhile we recognised the need for continued humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan, particularly those in the South affected by drought and civil war .

Between 1991 and 1997 DFm committed over £180 million, including the UK share of European Union assistance, for humanitarian aid such as food, seeds and tools, water and basic drugs. In 1998 we pledged over £28m bilaterally as part of the response to the crisis in southern Sudan. £14.1 million of this went to the World Food Programme for food aid and delivery costs; the balance was in support of the work of international charities active in the area, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations Humanitarian Co-ordination Unit based in Khartoum and UNICEF .

In 1999 we pledged over £3.17 million, going through international NGOs and the ICRC for humanitarian assistance (health, food, water and sanitation). In 2000 we pledged £4.47m, which includes £l.lm to ensure the security and coordination of Operation Lifeline Sudan's work; the remainder going through international NGO's for humanitarian assistance (water, health, nutrition, seeds and tools), including Eritrean refugees in Sudan.

During 2001 DFID pledged over £6.2 million for humanitarian work in Sudan, including to both 2001 Appeals for Sudan made by the International Committee of the Red Cross and World Food Programme (£2m and £lm respectively); other responses, funded through Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO's) -such as Save the Children, Medecins sans Frontieres, Action Contre la Faim, Care and Oxfam -have included emergency therapeutic feeding (for children) in North Darfur; emergency medical intervention (for children) in western Darfur; water projects in North Darfur and South Kordofan; flood relief; Kala Azar treatment in Gedaref State and Upper Nile; TB treatment in Upper Nile; alleviation of malnutrition in Bentiu and the returning of abducted women and children to their homes.

So far in 2002 we have agreed to contribute £360,000 towards Security Operations and £215,000 towards Coordination and Support Services, for the United Nations' 2002 Consolidated Appeal for Sudan. We have also pledged £207,820 and £221,521 to World Vision for (i) a Primary Health Care Programme in Waat and (ii) the Safe motherhood initiative in Shilluk Kingdom, Upper Nile; pledged of £415,000 and £200,000 to Medecins Sans Frontieres for (i) Emergency Health Assistance in Jonglei and Upper Nile Provinces and (ii) Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis in Maridi County, Western Equatoria. We are monitoring the situation carefully and will make further responses as necessary .

Our bilateral assistance is channelled through international non-governmental organisations and UN agencies working in the field, and is concentrated on the most urgent needs identified by the aid agencies. In addition, a Small Grants Scheme (£100,000 a year until 1999/2000, £90,000 in 2000/01, £80,000 from 2001/2002), which is under the British Ambassador's delegated authority, provides support for local development initiatives.

PEACE

War is the prime cause of the suffering in Sudan and so the pursuit of a lasting peace agreement remains the key priority: the British Government, together with the international community, continues to be active in trying to find a solution to the problems in Sudan. This includes working with the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) e.g. encouraging (and allocating money to) the setting up of their permanent negotiating Secretariat in Nairobi in 2000 and 2001; additionally, last year we helped fund a Christian Aid project to strengthen the people to people peace process in southern Sudan.

Since the Secratry of State's visit in Jan 2002, we have also agreed to provide £100,000 in 2002/3 for small scale activities which promote peace building, poverty reduction and education, to be managed by the British Embassy in Khartoum.

RK/HCB/Mukarji

26th February 2002

Dr Daleep Mukarji
Director
Christian Aid PO Box 100
London SEI 7RT

Dear Dr Mukarji,

The Sudan

As I am sure you know, the Diocese of Salisbury has had a link with the churches in the Sudan for many years. I have always sought to be supportive and to register the concerns of people in the diocese with the government of the day.

Ash Wednesday was chosen as the Day of Action on the Sudan in our diocese and part of the action was a letter-writing campaign to Members of Parliament requesting them to write to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry urging them to call for a suspension of oil extraction in Southern Sudan until a lasting peace is negotiated. Of course, I have been delighted to do this - and I have also been in touch with Ben Bradshaw at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Clare Short at the Department for International Development.

I have poored over your website and I congratulate you on the detailed information which you have accumulated on the situation in the Sudan. So that I can respond to my constituents with absolutely up-to-date information, I would be grateful if you could tell me what you know about the current situation.

Do you have any more information about the activities of a) Talisman Energy of Canada b) Lundin Oil of Sweden c) Petronas Oil of Malaysia d) The China National Oil Corporation e) TotalFinaElf of France? Has Christian Aid approached these countries directly?

Have you been in touch with Rolls Royce and Weir Pumps who you say are keeping the pipeline going to the north?

I am sure you will have been in correspondence with Ministers at the Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign Office about all this. Would it be possible for me to see copies of those letters?

Finally, please can you tell me what the Christian communities in Canada, Sweden, Malaysia and France (probably not China) are doing in support of the Christian Aid Campaign?

Thank you so much for your help.

13/03/02

Dear Mr. Robert Key, M.P.

Thank you very much for your enquiry relating to oil in Sudan. I have been asked by our director, Dr. Mukarji, to reply.

I am pleased to be able to update you on the current situation and answer your questions. I am sorry for the delay in replying, there has been a great deal happening relating to Sudan recently, so we have been very busy.

Re: Talisman
The latest information we have from the Talisman oil area is from two researchers who visited the area in February 2002. They interviewed civilians who have been displaced from the concession area owned by a consortium known as the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (Talisman is a member of this consortium) The displacement took place in October/November 2001 due to an offensive by the government of Sudan against the villages that lie immediately east of the areas that are currently being explored for oil. Many of these villages lie on, or close to road works leading from existing oil sites and from newly established army garrisons.

SPLA Commander George Athor said the offensive appeared designed to push the borders of oil eastwards and to facilitate the extension of existing oil roads. The ordinary people said the same. They said the offensive was designed, either to open new drilling sites or, in the words ofwomen, "so the government can put up lights". This was a reference to the electrical grid that now covers much of (depopulated) Ruweng/Unity to light the oilfields (and, the SPLA says, to deter SPLA attacks).

Local Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Authority officials said almost 80,000 Nuer were displaced in this offensive. There has been no Operation Lifeline Sudan relief in the area since.

All the displaced people the researchers spoke to, explained that they suffered aerial bombardment by Antonov planes, followed by helicopter gunship attack, followed by ground attack by truckloads of government soldiers who entered their villages firing and subsequently burned their villages and whatever food they didn't loot. The gunships flew so low that the people said they could see the pilots. The displaced people have not been able to return to their homes since the attack because after burning the villages the government army mined paths and water points. At least one person died and seven people reportedly suffered amputations as a result. The displaced tried to return to their villages in the wet season, when they traditionally leave the toic (the seasonally flooded grasslands surrounding the Nile), but were unable to because of the total destruction and the mines.

As a result of the insecurity, there is no pennanent NGO presence in the area and the condition of the displaced people and their animals is deteriorating rapidly.

It is not Talisman themselves who are committing the human rights abuses, however Christian Aid believes that their presence in the area makes them complicit in the abuses, for 4 main reasons:

1. The exploitation of oil in a conflict zone provides a focus for ongoing fighting between the warring factions
   
2. Talisman are contributing revenue from oil production to the government of Sudan. This revenue is used to increase the government's potential to wage war, and attack civilians
   
3. The reason the government of Sudan is clearing areas, burning villages and attacking civilians is partly to clear the way for Talisman and other companies to exploit oil.
   
4. Infrastructure created by the oil companies is also used by the government of Sudan for military purposes
   

Talisman's response:

Talisman released a Corporate Social Responsibility Report in April 2001. In this report, the company outlined various activities it has undertaken to comply with ethical codes of conduct. The company has, for example, encouraged the government of Sudan security forces to follow UN Codes of Conduct and has developed a code of ethics for the GNPOC. They also claim to have consistently requested the
government of Sudan not to use their oil infra-structure for "non-defensive" purposes. Many of the issues we have raised in our campaign are considered by Talisman to be outside of their sphere of influence. They have raised the issues with the government of Sudan but say they are unable to prevent abuses from occurring. Christian Aid met with Talisman in the Summer of2001 and Talisman denied that displacement was occurring in their oil concession area. They admitted that it may have occurred in the past, but said it was no longer happening. Our research concerning displacement in OctoberlNovember 2001 contradicts this. Talisman recently expressed their condemnation to the government of Sudan, concerning the attacks on civilians at
Bieh, earlier this month. However, they have remained silent over ongoing attacks in their own oil concession area in Unity.

Whilst Talisman does undertake some small -scale development work, for example, they funded a library and a hospital, these measures are minimal compared to the massive humanitarian affects of displacement from the oil fields. In fact, often people are unable to get to the hospital that Talisman has built because they have been forced out of the area.

In December 2001, Talisman announced its intention to pullout of oil production in Sudan. This may have been triggered by a law -suit that was filed against them by human rights activists in the US, or by threats to ban companies operating in
Sudanese oil from being listed on the New York Stock Exchange. However, to date, Talisman are still operating in Sudan.

Lundin Oil

As you have already read in our report "The scorched earth", there was massive displacement of civilians along the Lundin oil road between March 2000 and January 2001. Lundin suspended drilling during this time, but then went back into operation after the villages had been cleared and the road formally opened. At the beginning of February this year, Lundin announced its decision to temporarily suspend operation again. This was due to increasing security risks in their oil concession area caused by the intensification of fighting between the government of Sudan and the SPLA, who are both trying to secure control of the oil fields. Our research in February 2002 revealed that the government of Sudan were attacking civilians along the bottom half of the Lundin oil road.

Christian Aid met with Lundin, 2 weeks ago and they told us that this time, they do
not intend to begin operations in the area again until there is a ceasefire. However, we are concerned that the recent attacks by the government of Sudan may be preparing
the ground for Lundin to resume operations. Our campaign is calling on companies to suspend, but they must ensure that further abuses do not take place in order to secure the oil fields in their absence. They also must ensure that they do not resume
operation until there is a 'just and lasting peace settlement", a ceasefire alone is not enough.

Petronas and CNPC

We invited all the oil companies to meet with us after the publication of our report "The scorched earth." Petronas and CNPC did not take us up on this offer.

TotalFinaElf

The TotalFinaElf concession area is currently inactive. We are keeping an eye on the area and discouraging TotalFinalElf from making the concession active until there is
just and lasting peace.

Rolls Royce and Weir Pumps

We have contacted both these companies. Rolls Royce initially did not respond to our report and had no comment to make. More recently, Rolls Royce said that they were following British government advice in investing in Sudanese oil. This is of great concern to us. On one hand, the government is increasing its efforts for peace in Sudan, through the appointment of special representative (Alan Goulty), but on the other they appear to be encouraging investment in the Sudanese oil industry which we believe is fuelling the war .Weir pumps responded with outrage but said they knew very little about the situation in Sudan and that they were not directly involved as they are only providing pumps and other equipment rather than exploiting the oil themselves. There were not interested in meeting up with us.

We regularly meet with DFID and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on these issues. The response of the DTI is to pass the issue over to the FCO. Our supporters have written to their MPs, asking them to raise the issue with Patricia Hewitt at DTI, but the responses the supporters receive always come from the FCO. The DTI believe that it is not their role to advise companies on where they should or should not invest. Instead they refer companies to FCO who tell us they provide the companies with
"full and frank advice". We have been unable to find our what this advice includes. I enclose examples of letters received from the FCO.

Campaigning in other countries

The Christian community and others in Canada have been extremely active in the campaign and have obviously focussed on Talisman. This has included shareholder action and meetings with Talisman to discuss issues relating to corporate social responsibility. The Presbyterian church of Canada divested their investments in Talisman. The Christian communities of France and Sweden are both working on the campaign as part of the European Coalition on Oil in Sudan (ECOS), which is a network of over 60 organisations across Europe who are also calling for suspension of oil production until there is just and lasting peace. You will find the ECOS manifesto on our web site. We have not as yet, heard of any campaigning in Malaysia or
China. However, the National Council of Churches in Australia was keen to follow up the possibility of making links with church groups in Malaysia.

We are keen to exert pressure on all oil companies operating in Sudan, and are exploring ways to achieve this through investigating how UK companies are
indirectly supporting all oil companies in Sudan through support services and investment.

I hope this answers your questions. The campaign is particularly pertinent to the UK at the moment, as the UK government has promised to step up pressure for peace in Sudan. We want to ensure that they work for a just and sustainable peace and not a quick -fix. To do this, the oil production must be suspended until the settlement is firmly in place, and until an agreement is reached on equitable resource sharing.

Thank you for your interest in the campaign,

Yours sincerely,

Isobel Perry
Communications Officer
East Africa

RK/JCR/suda

1 March, 2002

Ben Bradshaw Esq MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2AH

We corresponded last month about the Sudan.

I have now received a letter dated 26th February from Hilary Benn at the Department for International Development, which she has copied to you.

Hilary Benn suggests that you would be willing to give me a full response outlining FCO policy and the advice it offers to companies on the issue of oil exploration and extraction.

I would now be very grateful if you would be kind enough to let me have that information.

Ref: RK/JCR/suda

22 March, 2002

Robert Key Esq MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Thank you for your letter of 1 March to Ben Bradshaw regarding FCO policy and advice to companies on the issue of oil exploration and extraction in Sudan. I am replying as Minister for Africa.

In his letter to you of 29 January, Ben Bradshaw outlined our policy with regard to the oil industry in Sudan. I should reaffirm Ben's statement that the FCO and DTI have no campaign to promote investment in the Sudanese oil industry. Neither do we have a policy to halt investment in the oil industry. When approached by British companies interested in investing in the industry, we provide full and frank advice. FCO advice centres on the political situation in Sudan, including advice on human rights and the current state of the civil war.

The focus of our efforts in Sudan remains the search for a peaceful solution to the civil war. Peace will remain a priority.

Brian Wilson MP
Minister of State for Energy and Industry

Robert Key Esq MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

Thank you for your letter of 19 February to Patricia Hewitt, covering correspondence from your constituents, regarding their concerns about the oil industry in southern Sudan. I am replying in view of my responsibility within the Department for this area.

We believe that 2002 offers a real window of opportunity for peace in Sudan and that the UK has a major role to play in ensuring that this opportunity is seized. On 12 February, the Foreign Secretary announced the appointment of Alan Goulty as the new UK Special Representative for Sudan. Mr Goulty will head a dedicated Sudan Unit in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and, in coordination with partners interested in bringing peace to Sudan, will engage with all parties to the conflict in an effort to promote the case for peace. The UK will continue to support the Inter- Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace process as the best chance to bring an end to the civil war through a negotiated settlement. As an active member of the IGAD Partners Forum, we shall step up our efforts to revitalise the IGAD initiative, with which both parties have agreed to negotiate. We shall also work closely with Kenyan Lieutenant General Sumbeiywo, the new IGAD Special Envoy, who visited London for discussiorls on Sudan in January.

Clare Short, the Secretary of State for International Development, visited Sudan from 6-11 January. She was the first British Cabinet-level Minister to visit Sudan for over a decade and peace was at the top of her agenda. Ms Short discussed the peace process substantively with the full range of Sudanese political leaders, north and south, and concluded that the time was right for a major international effort to help the parties resolve Africa's most costly and longest running civil conflict. All those she met admitted their responsibility to engage in serious negotiation, and that there was now a window of opportunity. Ms Short stressed that we stood ready to play our part and pressed the SPLA/M in particular to set out their key requirements for a just peace. She also emphasised the potential economic benefits for all, and UK readiness to engage in development if stability can be achieved.

There has already been some progress in Sudan this year. For example, as a result of the efforts of US Special Envoy, Senator John Danforth, with whom we are working closely, talks were held in Berne in January between the Sudanese government and the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA), aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the Nuba Mountains region. We were delighted to hear that the parties reached an agreement, under which civilians will be allowed to move freely within the region currently held by the SPLA, there will be demilitarised zones to allow the Nuba people to access fertile land, and humanitarian assistance will be allowed to enter the region byair. This ceasefire, although limited to the Nuba Mountains, is a small but encouraging step towards peace.

We continue to be deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, particularly in the south. Since 1991 Britain has pledged over £220 million to help with humanitarian crises in Sudan. We are continuing to support international charities and the work of the United Nations (UN) to meet urgent humanitarian needs. We have continued to urge all parties to give all possible help to the UN and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to ensure speedy delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The civil war in Sudan started decades before the' oil project came on stream in 1999. The main fields are in or close to an area of longstanding conflict between pro and anti government Nuer militias. It is not clear that oil has significantly affected this situation. Nevertheless, we have raised concerns about the oil industry with the government of Sudan, and the FCO coordinates closely with the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) to ensure that these concerns are taken into account when providing advice to British companies. The FCO and DTI have no ongoing campaign promoting investment in the Sudanese oil industry, nor do we have any policy to halt commercial interests. We give full and frank advice. In general, this Government believes that multilateral sanctions are more effective than unilateral sanctions. Ideally, sanctions should be imposed by binding UN Security Council resolutions so that they are mandatory on all UN members. There is currently an EU arms embargo on the Sudan, which the UK helped to initiate in 1994. We implement this rigorously and expect it to remain for as long as the civil war continues.

We are engaged, with our EU partners, in an effort to encourage the government to be more transparent about the use to which it puts its oil revenues. The government's assurances that the majority are devoted to development expenditure would be all the more convincing if they were backed up by clear data. European Union Heads of Mission held a meeting with the Sudanese Minister of Finance on this subject on
6 November 2001. However, the only long term answer to the suffering in the Sudan is a peace settlement which will allow the people to rebuild their lives. Peace in the Sudan will remain a priority.

Yours sincerely,