Oil companies invited to join Sudan oil talks

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Oil companies invited to join Sudan oil talks

December 24th, 2011

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Foreign and domestic oil companies will be asked to join the next round of revenue-sharing talks between Sudan and South Sudan, a top mediator for African Union-led negotiations said Wednesday.

“The oil companies will be invited, they will be in the room at the request of the panel to bring clarification and information on issues when requested,” former Burundian president and lead mediator Pierre Buyoya told AFP.

Juba requested that oil companies act as a third-party negotiator but Khartoum rejected that, Buyoya said after two days of discussions in the Ethiopian capital.

“Juba wanted the oil companies to be on the negotiating table… but Khartoum doesn’t agree,” he added.

The chief role of the companies will be to provide advice during the next round of talks set to be held in Addis Ababa on January 17.

Companies invited to attend include Nile Petroleum Corporation, wholly-owned by the governemnt of South Sudan, and Petrodar Operating Company, which is owned mainly by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Petronas of Malaysia, Sudapet of Sudan and SINOPEC of China.

Juba and Khartoum have been bickering about how to share oil wealth since South Sudan gained independence in July, taking with it 75 percent of oil reserves.

Last month, the two sides failed to settle on a transit fee and how much the north is due in arrears.

Buyoya said the AU delegation had received a letter from officials in Khartoum this week warning that Sudan will block oil shipments from South Sudan starting December 25 if transit fees are not paid.

“They say… what we are going to do is to oblige the ships loaded with oil belonging to South Sudan to pay us what we think is our due. If they don’t pay, they won’t leave,” he said.

Blocking oil would hamper relations already soured by ongoing conflict along the disputed border in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, with both north and south accusing each other of cross-border attacks.

Buyoya said if Khartoum blocks oil shipments from the south, relations between the two are likely to worsen, although he does not expect large-scale conflict to erupt.