Amnesty International on Wednesday denounced the cost in human rights terms of Sudan's oil industry, cataloguing "massive" violations by the country's security forces.
The London-based rights group, in a new report, accused oil giants including Elf, Royal Dutch Shell and TotalFina of "turning a blind eye" to such violations.
"Massive human rights violations by Sudanese security forces, various government allied militias and armed opposition groups, are clearly linked to foreign companies' oil operations," Amnesty said in its report.
"The civilian population living in oil fields and surrounding areas has been deliberately targeted for massive human rights abuses -- forced displacement, aerial bombardments, strafing villages from helicopter gunships, unlawful killings, torture including rape and abduction," Maina Kiai, Amnesty International's Director for Africa, said in the report.
According to Amnesty oil companies such as Petronas, Agip, TotalFina, Royal Dutch Shell and Elf are "turning a blind eye to the human rights violations committed by government security forces and their allied troops in the name of protecting the security of oil-producing areas".
"Amnesty International does not condemn companies that work in countries where there is a high level of human rights violations, but it asks that they ensure that their operations do not contribute to human rights abuses and promote respect for human rights," the report said -- LONDON (AFP)
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