The U. N. In Sudan: Corruption and Deception

In April 1989 the international community launched Operation Lifeline (OLS). This initiative was to prevent a recurrence of the 250,000 deaths from war and famine that the country had experienced the previous year.

OLS is an association of the United Nations (UN) and non- governmental organizations (NGOs ) pledged to supply emergency assistance to civilians in need, regardless of which conflicting party controls the area in which they live. Two of the key founding members of OLS have been the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Food Program (WFP). Over 40 NGOs are now linked under OLS which, due to a tripartite agreement between the UN, the Government of Sudan and the SPLA, serve only those areas approved by Khartoum at the time. The Nuba mountains were excluded.

The OLS estimated that 7.5 million people, for example, were vulnerable to famine, 3 5 million of whom lived in the three Southern provinces of Bahr el Ghazal, Equatoria and Upper Nile. Of these, 700,000 were considered to be at greatest risk, living on the edge of survival. Another 1.3 million people of the South had fled to the so-called transitional zone, between North and South. An estimated 700,000 displaced Southerners lived in squatter camps outside Khartoum.

Sudan’s infant mortality rates were calculated as 102 per 1,000, and for under 5-year olds at 169 per 1,000. Malaria, diarrhea and acute respiratory infections are common. Malnutrition rates as high as 80% among children under five have been reported in some locations.

OLS reported that by 1994 they were moving 140 metric tons of food and non-food cargo each day from Lokichoggio into Southern Sudan. More than 10 aircraft were making about 50 take-offs and landings each day.

However, despite the impressive statistics, we have repeatedly heard some serious accusations against the UN / OLS from people on the ground in South Sudan. Several NGOs and pilots have said: “This is a racket. Most of these aid workers don’t care about the people in Sudan.” One British NGO claimed: “Loki is packed full of time-servers getting fat on 5 course meals—with 15 food choices—three times a day.” Several people commented on their shock at the extravagance, gluttony and waste evidenced at the OLS dining hall in Lokichoggio. As one American relief worker commented: “This OLS compound in Loki is surreal. There they are within a few miles of serious famine, claiming to be there to feed the starving, while gorging themselves on large quantities of luxury foods and desserts!”

Other accusations were far more serious: “OLS is full of blood-sucking parasites squandering resources and enriching themselves whilst pretending to aid the starving!” This English-aid worker described the extravagant salaries, excessive living expenses allowances and fabulous fringe benefits as the main reason why most of the relief workers were at Loki. He also gave several shocking examples of waste and corruption. (While it would be unfair to level these accusations at all aid workers there must be many sincere and even some sacrificial workers—the incidents of waste, corruption and callous indifference abound.)

Many Sudanese Christians complained to us about the UN bias against Christians. The ban on Bibles being transported into Sudan was the most offensive, but they also mentioned many occasions when church-related relief flights were cancelled: “As Christians we are lower than third-class citizens in the eyes of the UN.” Christian organizations such as New Sudan Council of Churches and ACROSS have even been banned by the UN/OLS from having any relief flights for a month—penalized simply for attempting to take Bibles into Sudan!

It is also a shocking fact that the Nuba Mountains—which have been the site of the worst atrocities and home to the most desperately needy people in Sudan—have been completely excluded from the OLS relief program.

Officers in the SPLA also had their own critical observations: “Under the guise of feeding the starving and suffering Sudanese civilians, the OLS is actually sustaining the Muslim garrison towns.” As another put it: “There is a great imbalance. Many more OLS planes—and bigger aircraft—fly to the Muslim garrison towns each day than to SPLA-held towns. This is how they are maintaining 100,000 Arab troops in the South: the UN is feeding them!” (He also pointed out that the reported flight schedules were deceptive since flights to Christian towns were routinely cancelled.)

A civilian observer put it even more boldly: “The UN is providing the Government of Sudan with an efficient air force. The OLS is effectively serving as the logistical support arm of the GOS troops in the South. In this way they are actually prolonging this war.”

Several pastors and NGOs confirmed that the GOS troops in Juba and Wau, for example, had complete control of all relief aid being flown in by the OLS. They maintained that refugees fleeing from these towns report mass starvation while the COS troops requisition the relief aid. Those civilians who wanted any part of the food aid were forced to convert to Islam. We received multiple testimonies of the abuse of relief aid in Muslim-controlled areas. Food aid has routinely been abused as a weapon for enforced Islamization and Arabization. Not only are recipients forced to beg for the food “in the name of Allah” and recite the Islamic creed, but they are required to change their Christian names to Arabic names!

Those nations and organizations which are funding aspects of Operation Lifeline Sudan should institute a thorough investigation into these accusations of corruption, waste, anti-Christian bias, mismanagement of resources and the abuse of relief aid by Government of Sudan forces.

The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace. (Is. 59:8)