Last August's cease-fire negotiated by the British Government to save millions from starvation in South Sudan has been broken by the
Sudanese in a series of attacks designed to seize billion-dollar oil fields.

In the last month, 1,200 Government forces swept through Ruweng Country, in Western Upper Nile region, killing scores of civilians, abducting hundreds and burning over 6000 homes.

In a ten-day offensive, Antonov bombers, helicopter gunship, tanks and artillery attacked civilians across a 100-kilometre swathe of territory.

This is in flagrant violation of a ceasefire signed between the Sudanese Government and the Sudan's People Liberation Army in August last year- as a result of last year's intense media coverage of famine in South Sudan.

Survivors of this raid are now living in the bush without shelter, food or water and with no medical supplies.

The Government troops deliberately burned their food stores and killed their livestock. The area has received little or no aid, due to the insecurity of the region.

Thousands now face a slow death from starvation.

A joint Christian Solidarity Worldwide & California-based Safe Harbour delegation witnessed at first hand the aftermath of these attacks.

They visited burned villages and a hospital that had been torched.

They found 17 churches and traditional shrines reduced to ashes.

They discovered spent ammunition of the Government amongst the ruins. They were taken to see the craters caused by Antonov bombing. And they spoke to victims and survivors, all of whom pointed to oil being the secret reason behind the attacks.

Ruweng County borders the Southern Sudan oil fields of Heglig.

In late June 1999, the Khartoum regime aims to pump 200,000 barrels of oil a day along a 1600 kilometre pipeline for export at Port Sudan.

An oil consortium led by Canadian Company Talisman has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into the oil project. Clearing the black African people of South Sudan and the SPLA from these areas is vital to this oil project.

Without the oil revenues, it is unlikely that Khartoum regime can continue its war in South Sudan.

Says SPLA chairman Dr John Gararng, "We have repeatedly warned these people that we will not allow our resources to be stolen from beneath our lands. We have written to oil companies.

They have chosen to ignore us."

CSW President Caroline Cox adds, "I have seen at first-hand graphic, indisputable evidence that western investment in the oil fields of Sudan is fuelling the genocide of people of Ruweng.

The oil companies and their Governments now have the blood of thousands on their hands."

The CSW/Safe Harbour delegation also visited the closed region of the Nuba Mountains and the Southern Blue Nile in Sudan. Here, in areas cut off from the UN aid effort "Operation Lifeline Sudan", they found extensive violations of basic human rights by the Government, and a tragic dearth of even basic aid.

For further information and photographs please contact: Stuart Windsor of CSW tel. 44 181 942 8810 fax. 44 181 942 8821 or
Caroline Cox tel. 44 181 204 7336 fax. 44 181 204 5661.