Lundin War Crimes Trial

Is the System Broken?

There are a number of international binding and non-binding conventions put in place to protect victims of war crimes, but to what extent is the international community living up to its obligations?

In this episode, we discuss how the legal system is failing victims and how to fix it. You will also get the latest updates from the trial.

With us to discuss this we have the lawyer Anders Sjögren, who, as a legal counsel, represents half of the plaintiffs in the Lundin war crimes case. Also Fanny Holm, whose research focuses on the legal framework for states to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, as well as the legal means available for providing reparations to victims of those crimes.

Participants:
- Fanny Holm, researcher at Umeå University
- Anders Sjögren, plaintiff’s counsel

Host:  
- Halima Athumani

Background:
 This is the Lundin War Crimes Trial, that is brought to you by Pax and Global Idé. The music in this podcast is made by the artist JJ Kang and edited by Roos Boer, producer and editor Kajsa Sörman. Visit unpaiddebt.org for more background and updates from the trial. There you may also listen to more interviews with victims and experts, read expert analysis, an interactive map of attacks in Lundin’s concession area and access background information about the case.

The Victims Left with Nothing

There have been major developments in the trial.

On November 22, 2023, the court decided to separate the South Sudanese plaintiff's claims for compensation from the war crimes trial. Instead, the victims will have to start separate civil cases that require them to deposit 45 000 euros each.

The court argues that the claims for compensation were handed in too late and that the power of attorneys is still missing.

What will this mean for the victims?

In this episode, meet George and Peter, South Sudanese activists who have attended the court hearings. They will share their views on the trial and the latest developments.

Participants:
 - George Tai Kuony, human rights activist and lawyer
 - Peter Wai, human rights activist and lawyer

Host:  
- Halima Athumani

Background:
 This is the Lundin War Crimes Trial, that is brought to you by Pax and Global Idé. The music in this podcast is made by the artist JJ Kang and edited by Roos Boer, producer and editor Kajsa Sörman. Visit unpaiddebt.org for more background and updates from the trial. There you may also listen to more interviews with victims and experts, read expert analysis, an interactive map of attacks in Lundin’s concession area and access background information about the case.

It's a Family Affair

Who are the men behind the Lundin oil consortium-  and what happened with the profit from the oil endeavors in Sudan? 

The Lundin family business has been handed over to the third generation as the company is trying to rebrand itself, focusing on green energy.

How will a conviction affect them and how do they deal with having “war crime” stuck to their name?

Participants:
- Emanuel Sidea, Swedish journalist who has been reporting on the family since 2011.

- Phil Clarke, former executive director for Doctors Without Borders (Denmark) and author to the report Justifying Blood Money.

Host:
 - Halima Athumani

Background:
This is the Lundin War Crimes Trial, that is brought to you by Pax and Global Idé. The music in this podcast is made by the artist JJ Kang and edited by Roos Boer, producer and editor Kajsa Sörman. Visit unpaiddebt.org for more background and updates from the trial. There you may also listen to more interviews with victims and experts, read expert analysis, an interactive map of attacks in Lundin’s concession area and access background information about the case.

How to Build a Case

The trial moves on, and piece by piece, the prosecutors are building their case. Internal reports, security logs, meetings between the company and representatives from the Sudanese government, as well as reports from human rights organizations, are being used as pieces in the prosecutor's big puzzle.

To help us navigate through all the different reports, we invited Mikael Ekman, Senior Legal Adviser at the organization Civil Rights Defenders, who has been following the trial on a day-to-day basis. Listen to his description of the courtroom and what he thinks are the most striking pieces of evidence so far.

Civil Rights Defenders' reports from the trial can be found here.

Participants:
Mikael Ekman, Civil Rights Defenders

Host: 
 Halima Athumani

Background:

This is the Lundin War Crimes Trial, that is brought to you by Pax and Global Idé. The music in this podcast is made by the artist JJ Kang and edited by Roos Boer, producer and editor Kajsa Sörman. Visit unpaiddebt.org for more background and updates from the trial. There you may also listen to more interviews with victims and experts, read expert analysis, an interactive map of attacks in Lundin’s concession area and access background information about the case.

The Hope For Justice

Sarah Simon was 10 years old when the war came to Unity-state and changed her life forever. Now she lives in Kenya but she is dreaming of one day moving back to her hometown Leer. In this episode she tells us her family's history, how the tragic events in the area scattered the Nuer-community and why she thinks this trial is important for getting justice. You will also get the headlines from the first week of court proceedings. 

Participant:
Sarah Simon, survivor from Unity state, based in Kenya

Host: 
 Halima Athumani

Background:
This is the Lundin War Crimes Trial, that is brought to you by Pax and Global Idé. The music in this podcast is made by the artist JJ Kang and edited by Roos Boer, producer and editor Kajsa Sörman. Visit unpaiddebt.org for more background and updates from the trial. There you may also listen to more interviews with victims and experts, read expert analysis, an interactive map of attacks in Lundin’s concession area and access background information about the case.

And so the Trial Begins

In the morning of 5th September 2023 there is a queue outside Stockholm District Court. Journalists from Sweden and abroad gathered to follow the longest trial in Swedish history. Two former executives of a Swedish Oil company, Ian Lundin and Alex Scheinter,  stand trial for war crimes committed in South Sudan over 20 years ago. Listen to a summary from the courtroom and hear Mark Klamberg, Professor in Public International Law at Stockholm University explain the legal details of the case.

Participants:
Mark Klamberg, Professor in Public International Law at Stockholm University

Host: 
 Halima Athumani

Background:
This is the Lundin War Crimes Trial, that is brought to you by Pax and Global Idé. The music in this podcast is made by the artist JJ Kang and edited by Roos Boer, producer and editor Kajsa Sörman. Visit unpaiddebt.org for more background and updates from the trial. There you may also listen to more interviews with victims and experts, read expert analysis, an interactive map of attacks in Lundin’s concession area and access background information about the case.

How it All Started

 In the first episode of the Lundin War Crimes Trial, we meet two experts who take us back to when it all began. What was the connection between oil and the war in Sudan? How did Lundin’s search for oil affect the people who lived in the area and how did the world react to the crimes that were committed?

 Participants:
•    Dr Leben Moro, Director of Planning, Innovation and Quality Assurance at the University of Juba.
•    Marina Peter, the founder of the European Coalition on Oil in Sudan, the network that stood behind the Unpaid Debt report.

 Host:
 •    Halima Athumani

 Background:
This is the Lundin War Crimes Trial, that is brought to you by Pax and Global Idé. The music in this podcast is made by the artist JJ Kang and edited by Roos Boer, producer and editor Kajsa Sörman. Visit unpaiddebt.org for more background and updates from the trial. There you may also listen to more interviews with victims and experts, read expert analysis, an interactive map of attacks in Lundin’s concession area and access background information about the case.

This is the Lundin War Crimes Trial, a podcast series produced by PAX and Global Idé about the case against the Swedish company Lundin, that has been charged with complicity in war crimes in South Sudan from 1999 to 2003.

Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes and an estimated 12 000 people lost their lives.

Can a Swedish court bring them justice?

Resources on unpaiddebt.org:

•  Read the report: Unpaid Debt, 
• Read more about the actors in the conflict, 
• Look at the map to uncover where the crimes were committed, 
• Read more about the Lundin concortsium, 
• More reports and background

 Who are we:
The European Coalition on Oil in Sudan (ECOS) was established in 2001, following a call from Sudanese churches and civil society to end the oil war. ECOS called upon oil companies to suspend their operations in Sudan until the war would be over and the conditions would allow that oil exploitation to benefitted the country. Between 2001 and 2012, ECOS represented over 50 European organisations and carried out research and advocacy on oil in Sudan on their behalf. The coalition produced a dozen studies and advocated with governments and the business sector to promote that Sudan’s oil wealth would contribute to peace and prosperity. One of them is Unpaid Debt.

When Sudan and South Sudan separated in 2011, the priorities of the members of ECOS shifted and ECOS gradually ceased to function. The Dutch peace movement PAX has since then followed the case closely together with the Swedish NGO and think tank Global Idé.

Find more information here.