Sudan and South Sudan: EUC Report

Lord Sheikh Excerpts

Wednesday 17th October 2012 Grand Committee

[Lord Sheikh]

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, for securing this important debate. I also congratulate my noble friend Lady Warsi on her new appointment. As someone who speaks periodically on foreign affairs, I look forward to her active involvement in these matters. I also commend the noble Lords who sit on the EU Committee for producing such a thorough and informative report, which of course preceded the follow-up report that we are debating today.

Some years ago I visited Juba and have always taken an interest in the region. The situation in Sudan and South Sudan is a major concern for the citizens of those countries and among the African diaspora. It is important to recognise that there is a regional as well as a global dimension to possible further hostilities between Sudan and South Sudan. The international community must continue to take interest and be involved in all issues relating to the two countries. Therefore, I wholeheartedly support the committee’s view that the international community must play a greater role in maintaining peace.

When South Sudan became the world’s newest country last year, owing to the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement, a number of issues remained unresolved with Khartoum. The economically sensitive and disputed areas of oil production and transit fees had essentially led to a stagnation of both economies, since South Sudan stopped pumping oil in January. Both Sudan and South Sudan are heavily reliant on oil revenues: 75% of the oil lies in South Sudan but all the pipelines and processing facilities are in Sudan.

Like Members on all sides of your Lordships’ House, I welcome the recent progress made on this issue. I commend the work of Thabo Mbeki, Pierre Buyoya and Abdulsalami Abubakar, the African Union mediators and former Presidents of South Africa, Burundi and Nigeria respectively, in working tirelessly to achieve this breakthrough. However, I would like to see a resolution to the dispute over the oil-producing Abyei region, preferably through a referendum. It is vital that this should take place once issues surrounding voter eligibility have been resolved.

Darfur remains a source of tension between both countries. My own charity, the Sheikh Abdullah Foundation, has undertaken humanitarian work in Darfur. Rebel groups in Darfur have joined forces with rebels in the Sudanese states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan. The shelling last week of Kadugli in South Kordofan led to the deaths of five people. I welcome the decision by the Sudanese Government to allow relief supplies to enter South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. Sudan has accused South Sudan of backing the Darfur rebel groups, which Juba denies, although a number of reports suggest that it is supporting the rebels operating across the border in Blue Nile and South Kordofan. I would be grateful if the Minister could shed some light on this matter.

The humanitarian situation in South Sudan is a cause for grave concern. It has been reported that children at the Yusuf Batil refugee camp in South Sudan are dying at more than twice the rate that is internationally recognised as an emergency. On average, consistently three or four children under the age of five are dying each day. Yusuf Batil is one of four refugee camps in Maban county and houses more than 100,000 people fleeing the fighting in Blue Nile state. Approximately one-third of all children at the camp are suffering from malnutrition. The lack of clean water and adequate sanitation facilities are also contributing to the high rate of infant mortality.

I wholeheartedly support the work of the Department for International Development in both Sudan and South Sudan. These efforts are changing the lives of many impoverished citizens in both countries. I commend the refugee and aid agencies that are providing food and healthcare to the thousands of displaced persons. I may add that there are several Muslim charities, including Islamic Relief, undertaking vital humanitarian work in South Sudan, where the people are mainly Christians and non-Muslims. These Muslim charities have in fact formed the Muslim Charities Forum to co-ordinate the work of the various charities.

As a landlocked nation, South Sudan must find ways of facilitating trade with its immediate neighbours. The South Sudanese Government have opened a 192 kilometre- long highway, which connects Juba with Nimule on the Ugandan border. The highway goes on from Nimule to meet Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and then runs through Kenya to the port of Mombasa. This highway project, which was funded by the United States Agency for International Development, is expected to significantly boost trade with east Africa. I particularly welcome this infrastructure project because it will reduce the cost of importing goods from Kenya and Uganda, the respective countries of my birth and where I spent my formative years.

I also welcome the announcement by the South Sudanese Government to launch an airline, which reflects the determination by the Government in Juba to address the current challenges surrounding infrastructure. At present, South Sudan has only 300 kilometres of paved roads. China has invested heavily in Sudan’s oilfields where its companies PetroChina and Sinopec are partners of Sudapet, which is owned by the Sudanese Government. China has also made investments in South Sudan, where the Government have announced that they will be receiving a $158 million loan from China to finish building a new airport in Juba.

In making reference to the follow-up report, I share the view that China must ensure that Chinese companies operating in both Sudan and South Sudan are responsible corporate citizens. I would be grateful if the Minister could inform the Committee about the steps that Her Majesty’s Government are taking to encourage China to play a more positive role in the region. The International Monetary Fund stated in its most recent report that South Sudan is failing to reach its economic potential owing to weak state institutions and poor infrastructure. It is therefore essential that Juba invests oil revenues wisely in order to remedy this situation. The stalemate over oil revenue revealed that the economic fortunes of Sudan and South Sudan remain linked. It is vital that Sudan and South Sudan reach agreements on all disputed areas so that both nations can prosper.

The British Government were active members of the comprehensive peace negotiations and the Darfur peace accords; they have an obligation, therefore, to work towards a favourable outcome for citizens in both countries. The international community has a responsibility to strive towards achieving stability in Sudan and South Sudan through building a multinational coalition that produces lasting change.