CEPO Urges South Sudan and Sudan Leaders to Resume Oil Production for Peace, Not War
By Jackson Gaaniko Mathew
Juba – The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has called on political leaders in both South Sudan and Sudan to ensure that the resumption of oil production is used to foster peace and political stability, rather than fuel violence and conflict.
On Tuesday, Mr. Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of CEPO, emphasized the importance of directing oil revenues towards securing peace and stability in both Juba and Khartoum. He expressed concern that oil resources could be misused to finance armed conflict, exacerbating instability and human suffering in the region.
“Let the resumption of oil production be for peace, not for war,” Mr. Yakani urged. “Juba and Khartoum should avoid using oil resources to perpetuate human rights violations, deadly armed violence, and corruption. The focus must be on reducing the suffering of citizens, not increasing it.”
Mr. Yakani further stressed the need for both governments to take responsibility by joining the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), demonstrating their political commitment to transparency and accountability in public financial management.
“Transparency in the oil sector is essential to ensure that funds are not misused to fuel violence or deepen corruption,” he stated. “If Sudan and South Sudan refrain from using oil revenues to escalate conflicts, it will bring great relief to the citizens. Allowing conflicting parties to regain strength through oil resources risks further destabilizing the region.”
Mr. Yakani concluded by saying CEPO is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that the resumption of oil production promotes political stability and peace, rather than perpetuating conflict and suffering.
