LIECH VICTIMS VOICES
We claim our right to effective remedies and reparation for the crimes that have been committed against us. We lived through the unspeakable horrors of Sudan’s oil war. Our villages have been burned down, our daughters raped, children abducted, parents beaten to death, cattle stolen, communities uprooted and displaced. The human rights abuses of the oil war have devastated our lives. As victims of human rights abuses, we have the right to remedy and reparation. This right has been denied to us and we claim it now.
Crimes have been committed by a variety of armed forces after the Government of Sudan decided to let international companies exploit oil on our land. The Lundin Consortium found our oil, sold it for a fortune, and left. Its managers are expected to stand trial in Sweden shortly for complicity in crimes committed against us. The Consortium members and their shareholders are indebted to us and it is time to pay.
South Sudan is in turmoil and its authorities are unable to govern the country effectively and equitably. Consequently, a remedy and reparation process will have to be independently managed, without any political interference. Because we suffered together, we want collective reparation. Because we need a transparent and accountable process, we solicit impartial international parties to initiate and oversee a remedy process. We would appreciate if Sweden, Lundin Petroleum’s home country, could take the lead to realize this.
Liech Victims Voices, Juba, May 2016
This message was endorsed during four consecutive meetings of representatives of the communities that have been affected by the oil war in Lundin’s Block 5A. They formed the Liech Victims Voices. The LVV has branches in South Sudan, Uganda and Kenya and is headed by Rev. James Ninrew and Rev. Matthew Deng MP. Its members trust them to defend their interests and to speak on their behalf. They can be contacted at jninrew@yahoo.com.