How is the Khartoum regime spending its Talisman-generated oil revenues? Today’s Associate Press reporting (Oct 27) makes clear that Talisman’s business partners have been as good as their word: the regime has been building factories for tanks and heavy artillery–the better to effect militarily a “final solution” to the problem in the south.
Eric Reeves [October 27, 2000]
Smith College ereeves@smith.edu
Northampton, MA 01063
413-585-3326
What is the “southern problem”? Essentially, it is the continued existence of the civilians of the south, who are so inconveniently proximate to the oil resources that provide the Khartoum regime with their means of economic survival. Relentless civilian bombings and scorched-earth warfare by Khartoum and its allied militias have destroyed or displaced many tens of thousands of innocent human beings from western Upper Nile Province and other regions in the south. But this is evidently not enough.
A year and a half ago (April 1999), Hassan al-Turabi—then the reigning Islamic ideologue in Khartoum—promised that oil revenues would be used for precisely these expanded military purposes. That promise has been reiterated several times since, including by “President” Omar Beshir, most recently and significantly this week at the inauguration of a $450 million industrial complex.
Talisman Energy disingenuously speaks of its “constructive engagement” in Sudan. Just what is “constructive” about providing revenues for the building of weapons factories that will only heighten the destructiveness of this war, already the most destructive civil conflict in all the world?
Jim Buckee, CEO of Talisman, has said, “We find the remarks by [Government of Sudan officials] about expanding arms production in Sudan inflammatory” [email to this source, July 26, 2000]. But there remarks aren’t “inflammatory”—they now point to a military reality in Sudan that Talisman has helped to create, and for which Canadian investors in Talisman, and the Canadian government, must bear responsibility.
If you own shares in Talisman Energy, you own part of this savagely cruel reality. If you don’t own shares, but want to act to end Talisman’s role in the oil-driven destruction of Sudan, then roll up your sleeves and let the big shareholders know how you feel—with emphasis. Fidelity Investments in the US, and Royal Bank in Canada, are the two primary targets of the Talisman divestment campaign now. Their coordinates, and the AP story, are below.
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News Article by AP posted on October 27, 2000 at
12:10:19: EST (-5 GMT)
El-Bashir: Sudan on way to producing own tanks
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Sudan soon will be producing its own
tanks and heavy artillery, President Omar el-Bashir said at the recent inauguration of a dlrs 450 million industrial complex.
Sudan, which buys most of its weapons from Arab and Asian
countries, already produces rocket-propelled grenades, machine-guns and mortars, el-Bashir said at the ceremony late
Thursday 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Khartoum.
“We will produce mortars and tanks and then we will
go to warplanes and rockets,” the president said in his
speech, which was broadcast on state-run television and radio.
GIAD industrial, which organized the inauguration ceremony,
already has been producing cables and assembling South Korean,
French and Japanese cars and light trucks at the complex. GIAD is a holding company owned by the private and public sectors.
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Fidelity Management must be held accountable for their Talisman Energy investments. They can be contacted at:
Mr. Edward Johnson III, Chief Executive Officer
Fidelity Investments
82 Devonshire Street
Boston, MA 02109
***Fax: 617-476-4164***
*Their website is: www.fidelity.com
[the website lists branch offices of Fidelity in the US and Canada: pressure can be brought to bear at the local level as well—
http://personal100.fidelity.com/gen/centers/invstctr.html.tvsr]
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*Royal Bank Investment Management must also be held accountable. (Internet: http://www.royalbank.com)
They can be contacted at:
*Toronto street address:
Royal Bank of Canada
200 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tel: (416) 974-5151
Fax: (416) 955-7800
Toronto mailing address:
P.O. Box 1, Royal Bank Plaza
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5J 2J5
*Montreal street address:
1 Place Ville Marie
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tel: (514) 874-2110
Fax: (514) 874-6582
Telex: 055-61086
Montreal mailing address:
Royal Bank of Canada
P.O. Box 6001
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3A9
*Internet: http://www.royalbank.com