Natural Resource Management: Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement
Implementations
Natural Resource Management – 2005
There were two main components of natural resources uses provision in Sudan’s 2005 CPA, the first focused on land-related conflict. The CPA provided that the Government of Sudan should exercise rights in land owned by the state through the appropriate or designated levels of government. The accord also established the National Land Commission and the Southern Sudan Land Commission to arbitrate between willing parties on issues related to land claims. The Land Commissions was mandated to study and record land use practices in areas where natural resource exploitation occurs. The second issue deals with sharing revenue from oil revenue. According to the CPA provision, after paying 2% of oil revenue to the oil producing states/regions in proportion to output produced in the respective state/region, fifty percent (50%) of net oil revenue derived from oil producing wells in Southern Sudan would be allocated to the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) as of the beginning of the Pre-Interim Period and the remaining fifty percent (50%) to the National Government and States in Northern Sudan.
The proposed land commissions were not established in 2005. Similarly, there was no record of the Southern Sudan receiving a 50% share of oil revenues. Nevertheless, it was estimated that the GoSS would receive $1.2 billion in oil transfers as per the GoS budget estimate of 2005.1 This estimate was disputed in November 2005 as the North claimed the Hedlig oil field, which was the main contributor of the estimated oil revenue for the South. The revised estimate was $700 million.2
- “The CPA Monitor-Monthly report on the Implementation of the CPA,” UNMIS, March 2006.
- “Dispute over Sudan Oil Revenue-Sharing as North Claims Heglig Field,” World Markets Analysis, November 24, 2005.
Natural Resource Management – 2006
The oil revenue dispute continued into 2006. For 2005, the south believed that the production amounted to as much as 450,000 barrels per day, while the north claimed that the production was at 330,000 barrel per day. The South received US$544 million in oil revenue which was deemed as insufficient by the southern authorities.1 Nevertheless, oil revenues for the remainder of 2006 increased. The total oil revenue of southern Sudan amounted to $865 million in September 2006, which increased by $73.5 million in the month of October 2006.2 The Joint Commission for Supervision of oil pricing and oil revenue had stressed that oil revenue accounts and shared distribution had been transparent and open.
The proposed National Land Commission was not established in 2006. The Southern Sudan Land Commission was established. The commission had five members who were appointed by the president of Southern Sudan.3
- “Disputes in Sudan over Oil Revenues,” World Markets Analysis, February 3, 2006.
- “Southern Sudan Government share in oil revenues,” Suna News Agency, December 10, 2006; “Southern Sudan Oil Revenue Up to $865 Mln Sept 2006,” See News Middle East & Africa, November 3, 2006.
- “The CPA Monitor-Monthly report on the Implementation of the CPA,” UNMIS, February 2009.
Natural Resource Management – 2007
Detailed information regarding oil revenue and its distribution for the 2007 year is not available. According to a news report, Southern Sudan netted $1.5 billion in 2007 as its share of $4.3 billion in oil revenues.1
The proposed National Land Commission was not established in 2007.
Natural Resource Management – 2008
The provisions related to oil sharing were implemented. In 2008, the Ministry of Finance & National Economy indicated that the total oil revenue for GoSS in 2008 was $2,888.20 million and in December of 2008 the oil revenue of GoSS stood at $265.66 million.1 The national government continuously transferred oil revenue to the government of southern Sudan.
The proposed National Land Commission was not established in 2006.
Natural Resource Management – 2009
According to a GoSS Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning report, Sudan’s total oil revenue in 2009 from oil resources in the Southern Sudan was $2,566.16 million, of which the GoSS’s share was $1,067.7 million. Also, approximately $666.14 million had been transferred to the GoSS between July and October 2009.1
The National Assembly adopted the National Land Commission Bill on 20 April 2009. The National Land Commission and the Southern Sudan Land Commission were independent commissions and as such had been mandated by the CPA to arbitrate between contending parties regarding claims over lands without prejudice to the jurisdiction of the courts.2 Nevertheless, members of the commission were not appointed in 2009.
Natural Resource Management – 2010
Regarding their share of the oil revenue, the national government had transferred approximately $669.92 million to the GoSS in the first quarter of 2010. The total oil revenue of the Sudan in 2010 was $ 4,423 million, of which the Government of Southern Sudan’s share was $1,802 million. The government of southern Sudan received $1,553 million from the national government in 2010.1
Although the National Legislature passed the National Land Commission Bill in 2009, members of the commission were not appointed in 2010. The South Sudan Land Commission was working to expose land use problems in South Sudan. The commission, however, was seeking financial assistance to undertake a thorough verification of land use and ownership in all ten states of Southern Sudan.2
- “The CPA Monitor-Monthly report on the Implementation of the CPA,” UNMIS, December 2010.
- “South Sudan Land Commission Seeks Financial Assistance to Clean Up Land Ownership Issues,” Sudan Tribune, July 21, 2010.
Natural Resource Management – 2011
Detailed information regarding oil revenue distribution between the north and the south is not available.
Although the National Legislature passed the National Land Commission Bill in 2009, members of the commission were not appointed in 2011. The South Sudan Land Commission, however, was quite effective. It worked on land draft policy and handed it over to the government of South Sudan in February 2011.1
Once southern Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011, provisions related to the natural resource management became obsolete.