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By Toby Collins
December 10, 2011 (LONDON) – South Sudanese rebels warned a French petroleum group that their permission must be sought before the construction of a pipeline to export oil produced in the newly independent country through Uganda and Kenya.
- South Sudan oil workers, Unity state (AFP)
At the 20th World Petroleum Congress held in Doha this week, Total announced a proposal to adapt the pipeline planned to take Ugandan oil to the Kenyan coast to accommodate oil produced in landlocked South Sudan as well.
Juba seeks an alternative to export its oil, which is the main source of revenue of the newly independent state, instead of a Sudanese port on the Red Sea. Sudan and South Sudan have failed to reach an agreement on transportation fees besides many other outstanding issues, since the south’s independence in July.
"The idea of constructing oil pipeline could not be possible without expressed permission from SSLA," said the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) in a statement issued on 10 December, two days after statements made by Total officials.
The SSLA is critical of Total’s "naivety" in dealing with the Juba government when "the oilfields of Unity State operate for the time being because of SSLA’s approval." They went say that the construction of such pipeline can only be decided by a "democratic government" after the "demise of Salva Kiir’s regime".
The rebels who claim to "control more than forty percent of rural areas" of oil producing Unity state said that Total should understand that Juba can not guarantee their safety when they start to construct the proposed pipeline.
Juba accuses Khartoum of supporting rebels in the oil producing region but the rebels reject these accusations saying such allegations aim to discredit them and present them as agents implementing the agenda of a foreign country.
The SSLA rebels say their "financial support comes from South Sudan Diaspora that buy weapons and fly them to our bases in Unity State and Upper Nile. The Diaspora contribute a lot of money monthly to SSLA. Our Diaspora members buy weapons from Eastern Europe and fly them to South Sudan."
The SSLA claim to have 9,000 troops with a further 1,200 in training in Mayom county, Unity state.
Various countries which supported the independence of South Sudan and the UN sought to mediate between the South Sudan government and the different rebel group but Juba declined the offer.
SSLA officials say that four rebel groups including the SSLM/A have reached an agreement to merge, which will be formally announced and elaborated upon on 17 December.
(ST)
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