June 22, 2021; Juba, South Sudan
The Environment and Climate Change Network, South Sudan would like to take this opportunity to commend the government of the Republic of South Sudan on its recent move to launch the environmental and social audit in the country1, especially in greater Upper Nile region.
The government has been silent for so long while oil pollution on the environment is worsening in oilfields, affecting and deteriorating the lives of our local communities. The impact of oil pollution is currently responsible for multiple birth malformations, death of livestock, contamination of clean drinking water, deforestation of lands, infertility, continues abortions and miscarriages and occurrence of many disease ailments.
In light of the above, we are calling for the government to immediately expedite the conduct of the long awaited environmental and social audit in a just and transparent manner – involving all concerned stakeholders including affected communities and civil society. We are also calling for the involvement of civil society networks in the country to participate in the process. Similarly, the Environment and Climate Change Network extend the call to joint oil operating companies in Blocks 1, 2 & Blocks 3 &, and Block 5A to cooperate with the Environmental Audit Taskforce.
We urge the government and particularly the concerned ministries of Petroleum and the Ministry of Environment and forestry to avoid delay of the process and requesting that the finding of the audit should be made public after finalization of the process.
The Environment and Climate Change Network (ECCN) is a network of civil society organizations based in Juba, South Sudan with programmes in the natural resources sector, vis-à-vis environment, land, oil and gas, and the minerals. The Network aims at recovery of natural ecosystems, conserving biodiversity and the natural and cultural environment, good human health, efficient material cycles free from dangerous substances, and sustainable use of natural resources in South Sudan.
For further information, please contact the ECC Network’s Secretariat at environmentandclimatechange.ss@gmail.com
1 https://eyeradio.org/cabinet-orders-immediate-environmental-audit/?fbclid=IwAR0x_6M5w5CDz4q3NBRV69qFjwaxO62YJN_Z428xuVOhdedRlWRBAA0rOdY