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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 Sep. - 6 Oct. 1999 Issue No. 449 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 Sep. - 6 Oct. 1999 Issue No. 449
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Oil fuels Sudanese strife
By Mohamed SalehOpposition forces last week blew up a section of the key oil export pipeline at Atbara, about 350km north of Khartoum. The 1,610km-long pipeline, stretching from the oil fields of Higleig in the southwest to a Red Sea export terminal, was inaugurated amid great fanfare by Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir on 30 August. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) claimed responsibility for the operation in a statement signed by General Abdel-Rahman Said, commander of the NDA's Joint Military Forces.
The NDA, a grouping of Sudanese opposition forces comprising the main southern Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and northern opposition parties, said the operation was in retaliation for attacks on their positions by government forces. The operation was described by Sudanese government officials as "a crime and terrorist act".
Further response came from Abdel-Basit Sabdarat, legal adviser to President Al-Bashir, who said the government was planning to ask unspecified Arab countries to extradite those suspected of complicity in the attack, in line with an Arab anti-terrorism pact.
However, some Sudanese independents criticised the opposition for targeting oil which is not the property of the ruling fundamentalist regime, but rather a national resource. "This operation was carried out on the basis of the NDA conference resolutions that deem oil and its means of transportation as military targets for the NDA," Said told Al-Ahram Weekly.
According to him, the NDA has repeatedly warned both the government and foreign companies that oil fields, roads and pipelines are legitimate military targets. "Oil is a national resource which is being misused by the current government. Our aim is to deprive them of the funds used to fight the opposition and support the current regime. It should remain underground till a true government takes over," he added.
Many observers have noted that a lengthy pipeline cannot easily be protected in the absence of political stability. However, Sudanese Interior Minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein told reporters that new security measures have been taken to protect the pipeline. But he gave no details. On the opposition side, Said challenged the government's ability to protect the pipeline. "Some sections of the pipeline are deep underground; other sections are exposed over long distances and impossible to guard. The recent strike was at one of the underground sections just a few kilometres from Atbara town where considerable armed government forces are located." According to Said, other attacks will follow.
The recent operation coincided with ongoing efforts at reconciliation and dialogue with the government, and some commentators viewed the attack as a serious blow to these efforts. From the government's side, Hussein said that dialogue would continue despite what he called the crime committed by the opposition because "for the salvation government, reconciliation is a principle". Other Sudanese officials were quoted as calling for an end to dialogue with the opposition.
In a symposium organised by the NDA last week in Cairo, NDA officials said their alliance is pursuing three avenues for the settlement of the political crisis in Sudan: peaceful attempts at dialogue; popular uprising; and armed struggle. "Each of the options has its own tools, methods and mechanisms. On this basis, the recent operation can be categorised as part of the armed struggle," said Al-Tigani Al-Tayeb, a member of the NDA leadership.
In spite of the last few months' atmosphere of goodwill combined with calls for dialogue, both sides are not yet ready to refrain from either military operations or the war of words. An NDA official said military operations are ongoing in different parts of Sudan. "The recent strike at the pipeline is just one and has nothing to do with dialogue."
The flow of Sudanese crude oil from the fields to the export terminals is at stake. "As the military arm of the NDA we haven't received any instructions from the political leadership to refrain from military activities. A fair and comprehensive political settlement acceptable to all parties is the only way to protect the pipeline and the smooth flow of Sudan's crude oil exports," said Said.
