Which multinational companies are doing business in Sudan?

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Request for Question Clarification by shal-ga on 18 Apr 2002 14:51 PDT

Is there a particular industry group under which you are seeking these 
multinational companies in Sudan? Please clarify so that I can provide the most 
appropriate information. Thank you.

US multinationals are discouraged from setting up shop in Sudan due to politics 
and human rights violations (see news snippets below). 
The US Department of Energy reports 
(http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/sudan.html)that "the United States imposed 
economic sanctions against Sudan in November 1997, prohibiting trade between 
the two countries, as well as investment by United States businesses in Sudan."
However, many other foreign oil companies have invested in Sudan because of its 
rich oil resources, in particular Canada's Talisman, the Chinese National 
Petroleum Company, and Malaysia's Petronas. (The American company, Chevron, had 
discovered rich natural gas and oil resources in Sudan in 1976).

US policy has not necessarily impeded other countries' multinationals from 
setting up shop in Sudan, for example:

Australia-Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry (There are 300+ members)
http://203.6.251.7/arab/alpha.cfm
(you can view the listed members by Industry Classification)

Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry (for Swiss business with Sudan)
70 Route de Florissant,
CH-1211 Geneva 12
Switzerland
telephone +41 (0)22 347 3202
fax +41 (0)22 347 3870
email:  attia@casci.ch 

You can contact the following offices for more business listings:
Sudan Chamber or Commerce
P.O. Box 81
Khartoum 
Sudan
Telephone: +249-72346

Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (headquarters)
PO Box 2640 
Khartoum
Sudan

--
For more information on US economic and business policy with Sudan, see:

The US House of Representative's report entitled "Bachus Proposal Warns 
Americans if They Are Investing in Sudan's Genocide" (Wednesday, May 16, 2001)
"[The US government] warns Americans if they are investing in foreign companies 
that do business with the government of Sudan, which sponsors terrorism and 
slavery and is engaged in a brutal 18-year long war against that country's 
religious minorities"
http://www.house.gov/bachus/pr010516-bachus-warns-americans.htm

Policy Forum Online
http://www.nautilus.org/fora/Special-Policy-Forum/36_Buffett.html
"The disclosure requirements would include the relationship of their commercial 
activity to human rights and religious freedom in Sudan, and the use of 
proceeds from capital raised in US markets to the contribution of these 
activities. U.S. oil companies are already prohibited by sanctions from 
investing in the country. "

For more Arabian Business News, see 

Arabia business channel
http://www.arabia.com/business/country/english/0,4955,18_Sudan,00.html

MBendi: Information for Africa
http://www.mbendi.co.za/land/af/su/p0005.htm

New Africa's entry for Sudan (minimal information)
http://www.newafrica.com/sudan/

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Request for Answer Clarification by lovethelord-ga on 22 Apr 2002 10:52 PDT

Thanks for the info, but that is not really what I asked.  I asked specifically 
for a list of multinational companies doing business in Sudan. 

You summarized some aspects of the political situation in the Sudan , US 
policy, and some chambers of commerce.  Further, you listed 3 companies 
(Talisman, Chinese National Petroleum and Petronas) that are already well-known 
to be doing business there.  I'm already aware of this information and for that 
reason was hoping for a more complete list of companies.  

Are you able to find any more exhaustive list of companies?  I already have the 
background information.  Thanks!

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Clarification of Answer by waggawa-ga on 22 Apr 2002 17:04 PDT

I'm not sure how many you want listed or in what particular industry, as you 
did not answer the Request for 

Clarification. I meant to point out that there aren't US multinationals in 
Sudan, but pointed out both a few 

specific companies and pointed you to compiled lists; these can be quite long.

I mentioned these specific multinationals
- Talisman Energy (Canada) -- the largest foreign investor in Sudan
- the Chinese National Petroleum Company/CNPC 
- Petroliam Nasional Bhd/Petronas (Malaysia)

A few other multinationals operating in Sudan are below. The most active 
industry is petrochemicals. 
- BP/British Petroleum (UK)
- TotalFinaElf (France/Belgium)
- Gabaco (Mauritania - formerly Agip, Italy facilities)
- OMV (Austria)
- Lundin Petrolium AB (Sweden)
- Qatar National petroleum (Quatar)
- Tenaga Nasional (Malaysia)
- Royal Dutch Shell (Netherlands)
- Weir Pumps (UK)
- Mobil
- Trafigura Beheer BV (Netherlands)
- EDF (Electricite de France)
- Daewoo (Korea; has a branch in Khartoum)
- Lufthansa (Germany; has a branch and Sudan-specific Website, 
http://www.sudan.lufthansa.com/)
- KLM (Netherlands; has a branch in Khartoum)
- Rolls Royce (UK)
- Monsanto (chemicals/pesticides/biotech)
- Hilton hotels
- Le Meridien hotels (France)
- Thomas Cook (UK travel sercie)
- Mitsubishi Motors (activity through Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation 
(MMPC))
- Lucky Goldstar/LG (Korean electronics) joint venture with Sudan's Saria 
Industrial Complex
- Emery Worldwide
- Maersk (Austria)
- (Hyundai, Korea has plans)
- (Mitsui Mining, Japan has plans)

Some of the companies mentioned on the Australia-Arab Chamber of Commerce and 
Industry Web site 

(http://203.6.251.7/arab/alpha.cfm) are:
- ADI Limited
- ANL Container Line Pty Limited
- Arab Bank Australia Ltd
- Automotive Components Ltd
- Ballantyne Foods Pty Ltd.
- BGP International Pty Ltd
- Comgroup Supplies Pty Ltd
- Commonwealth Bank Australia Limited
- Danzas AEI Pty Ltd
- Emirates (Airline)
[the list goes on]

The most significant investors in Sudan are from Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, 
France, Malaysia, China, the Netherlands, Germany. 

Multinational activities are influenced by constant social action and political 
legislature. 
For example, after the June 30, 1989 a military coup d'état led by Colonel Umar 
al Bashir, France suspended its public aid to Sudan. Many international and 
multinational companies, such as the World Bank and Citibank,closed their 
Khartoum offices around 1991. The US government continues to push sanctions 
that prohibit US companies from doing business in Sudan, and tend to pressure 
other governments to do similar.


Klaus Werner and Hans Weiss authored a 'Schwarzbuch Markenfirmen'('Black Book 
on Brand Companies') which includes some of the multinational companies in 
Sudan (and other countries). Published by Deuticke editions, Vienna in August 
2001, you can also check out the Web site (in German)
http://www.markenfirmen.org/



Also see:

Oil Companies Operating in Sudan, "DrillBits & Tailings," Volume 6, Number 2, 
February 28, 2001
http://www.moles.org/ProjectUnderground/drillbits/6_02/vs.html

Sudan Country Study
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/sdtoc.html

French Senate report "Quel avenir pour le Soudan" ("What is Sudan's Future", in 
French), 1998
http://www.senat.fr/ga/ga-023/ga-023.html

Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
http://www.sudmer.com/Links.htm

The Sudan Investment Authority 
http://www.sudaninvest.org/