Lundin Petroleum AB's experience in East Africa: The role of the private sector in conflictprone countries

Abstract

Lundin Petroleum spent over twelve years exploring for oil in Sudan, Ethiopia, and in Kenya. During this period it was faced with an armed conflict in Sudan, the risk of rebel activity in Ethiopia, and tribal clashes in Kenya. This meant the company had to consider operations in remote countries not only from a geological and commercial perspective, but also to take into account ongoing conflicts. This required considering political issues and developing mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of its operations. To this end it developed a corporate responsibility framework which emphasized stakeholder engagement, seeing oil revenues as potentially acting as a catalyst for peace and development.