Sudan: Talisman Energy must do more to protect human rights
Amnesty International today called on Talisman Energy Inc. to do more to safeguard human rights in Sudan. "Amnesty International is disappointed that Talisman Energy's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report 2000 does not adequately address the issue of the human rights impact of the company's operations in Sudan," the organization said.
* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *
1 May 2001
AFR 54/010/2001
78/01
Amnesty International today called on Talisman Energy Inc. to do
more to safeguard human rights in Sudan.
"Amnesty International is disappointed that Talisman
Energy's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report 2000 does
not adequately address the issue of the human rights impact of
the company=s operations in Sudan," the organization said.
As shareholders and institutional investors in Talisman
Energy Inc., meet on May 1 in Calgary, Canada, the fighting
between government of Sudan forces, armed opposition forces and
various local militias continues in the oil-rich regions of
Sudan. Reports of unlawful killings and injuries of civilians in
bombing attacks also continue to be reported in the Upper Nile
and southern Blue Nile during March and April.
Amnesty International has documented in its report Sudan:
the Human Price of Oil (May 2000, AFR 54/01/00) how civilians
were forcibly displaced from their villages and many were killed
by government troops and government-allied forces around the
Heglig and Unity oilfields, where Talisman Energy=s concessions
lie, since early 1999. Civilians who survived such attacks were
driven out of the region, or into towns, such as Bentiu,
controlled by the government. While Talisman Energy=s CSR report
contains information about social and development investment made
by the company in the area of its operations, "by underplaying
the serious violations being perpetrated, the report does not
accurately reflect the overall human rights situation," Amnesty
International added. Amnesty International believes the company=s
shareholders will have to look at additional sources of
information, such as reports from human rights and humanitarian
agencies, international organizations and independent
investigators.
Talisman Energy has now started oil exploration in a new
concession, in a significant new oilfield, Kaikang. Amnesty
International fears that the development of the Kaikang oilfield
may well lead to further human rights violations. Despite the
many reports of displacement in existing fields, in a letter to
shareholders on Nov 23, 1999, Talisman Energy=s chief executive
officer Jim Buckee said: AIn five years of operation, staff in
the field have not seen any evidence of forced displacement or
relocation in our area of operations.@
Talisman Energy justifies its operations in Sudan by
arguing that its policy of "constructive engagement" will
ultimately lead to an improved human rights situation. It has
also cited codes of conduct and international principles, which
it says it is implementing, including the International Code of
Ethics for Canadian Business and Amnesty International's Human
Rights Principles for Companies. Finally, it has appointed the
auditing firm, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, to verify its CSR report.
Amnesty International takes no position on Talisman
Energy's investment in Sudan. However, Amnesty International
remains concerned that there is little evidence that the company
has taken effective action in its area of operations to protect
human rights of civilians as well as to prevent violations.
While the CSR report mentions the number of times the
company's officials have met with Sudanese government officials
and discussed human rights concerns, there is sadly little
evidence that such discussions have led to fewer human rights
violations. Amnesty International is concerned that Talisman
Energy is unable to guarantee that the oilfield infrastructure is
only used for defensive purposes. In fact, Talisman Energy in its
report recognises the problem when it says: AThe use of oilfield
infrastructure for non-defensive purposes is of great concern to
Talisman. We have, and will continue to make our concerns known
to our partners [Petronas Bhd., China National Petroleum Corp.,
and Sudapet Ltd., who together with Talisman Energy form the
Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC)] and to the
Government of Sudan.@
However, armed security for Talisman Energy=s area of
operations is provided by three organs of the Sudanese government
security forces. Given the Sudanese security forces= track record
of human rights violations, including extra-judicial executions,
torture, the use of child soldiers and ground and aerial attacks
which have killed civilians, there is a significant risk that the
Sudanese Government security forces may use the oilfield
infrastructure to commit further violations. Indeed, the CSR
report goes on to admit: AWe believe that there were at least
four instances of non-defensive uses of the Heglig airstrip in
2000... Talisman has consistently requested that incidents of
this kind do not occur.@
The CSR report does not address the critical issue raised
by Amnesty International and other human rights and humanitarian
groups, relief organizations, religious groups, and some
governments: that the Sudanese government continues to commit
serious human rights violations in order to clear areas for oil
exploration and to secure the oil companies' operations. As
Amnesty International and other organisations have noted, in
order to secure oil fields, the government has engaged in a
deliberate scorched earth policy, leading to massive displacement
of civilians within Sudan.
In its May 2000 report, Amnesty International expressed
concern that oil revenues could be used by the Sudanese
government to increase its military expenditure and further fuel
the civil war, which may well lead to further human rights
violations. According to projections by the International
Monetary Fund, military spending has increased an estimated 96%
to 84 billion Sudanese dinars since 1998. During this period oil
revenue has increased to 95 billion Sudanese dinars.
While Talisman Energy and the Sudanese government claim
that oil revenues will benefit all Sudanese people, as reported
by an international news agency, army spokesman, General Mohamed
Osman Yasin, stated that Sudan will reach self-sufficiency in
light, medium and heavy weapons and was already manufacturing
ammunition, mortars, tanks and armoured personnel carriers,
thanks to oil exploration.
Amnesty International has noted the social and
development expenditure made by Talisman Energy in its area of
operations and welcomes the drafting of an agreement regarding A
the provision of security for advocacy within the GNPOC and the
Government of Sudan@, and the GNPOC Code of Ethics. Amnesty
International is concerned about the steps taken to implement the
codes, given the reported human rights abuses allegedly committed
by workers and officials of its partners in GNPOC, the China
National Petroleum Corporation and Petronas Bhd.
Amnesty International once again calls upon Talisman
Energy to implement the recommendations laid out in its own
report and uphold its Human Rights Principles for Companies.
Talisman Energy=s efforts to date in these regards fall woefully
short of these standards.
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