What is Happening in Newborn Rep of South Sudan?

Reverend James Ninrew, pressconference in Stockholm June 2010. Foto: Julia Björne, Global Reporting

-       How are things two months after independence?

People are happy for reconciliation. The SPLA have already started negotiations with the government in Juba. Other contacts are being made and the UN is also involved in collecting the rebels and the government.

Now, what people are waiting for anxiously, is the formation of the government and people are in the opinion that both militias who are corrupted in one way or another should not come into government again. That is the cry of the people and I think also the cry of the international community. It has been clear now that it is a struggle to form the government and make sure that the right people are put in the right places.

People are also struggling with the issue of oil. Khartoum is now imposing tariffs on the usage of the pipeline which now reached 32 USD per barrel and of course that is far, far too much. After all, that pipeline was not built by the Khartoum government, it was our government, because the money came from oil. 70 % of the oil revenue comes from the South. Putting tariffs at 32 USD per barrel, of course they are worsening the situation. The South is also now currently in the process of the conversion of the South Sudan Pound, it is going to be done by the 1st of September.

On the borders, there is still fighting in South Kordofan. The government is bombarding the people of South Kordofan day and night. And already, some refugees and displaced people have reached the South, especially the Western Upper Nile and that is also another challenge. Of course the South Sudan government is going to try to maintain good relations with the other states.

The oil contract with North Sudan expired on August 1, how are the negotiations going between South Sudan and the North?

-       Well, the contracts for the oil areas, the North has no other resources and that is why the negotiations are critical but what I know so far about the companies working in the South is that their contracts are under review and we want to ask them to observe environmental issues, to see to it that employment is also including Southerners, developing the areas of construction etc. All this is going to be determined in the new contracts. 

What do you think about the oil distribution? Do you think the oil will be shared equally between the South and the North?

Of course that is not going to work because they are still trying to detain people. It’s part of their strategy and they are very arrogant. Anyways, to me it is very clear, South Sudan has a lot of oil, and we are not going to share it with everybody, especially somebody who is like Al-Bashir. I don’t think we are going to pledge allegiance.

-       Do you think that Al-Bashir will be overthrown?

Well, what is happening in Egypt, what has happened in Tunisia, what is happening in Syria and all these Arab countries, is going to happen in Sudan sooner or later. The army and the coalition is waiting for the opportunity to overthrow Al-Bashir. That is going to trigger the opposition and the students. Al-Bashir can no longer play the way he wants, like he used to do before.

-       Now that South Sudan is officially an independent country, do you think that this will affect the behavior of the government? And in that case, how?

The government now know that, if anything happens, they will be responsible. Before, the South of Sudan was governed by the government in Khartoum. Now the government in the South will have to take care of itself, and be responsible, and that is what president Kiir told people in our government. They have to be responsible with respect for the rights. I think they will do very well.

Ludvig Perman