Swedish executives face war crimes charges

Lundin Oil executives Ian Lundin and Alex Schneiter have appeared in the District Court in Stockholm for alleged war crimes in Sudan. The East African reports that the suspects are facing charges of ‘complicity in grave war crimes’. In November 2021, Swedish prosecutors indicted Lundin and Schneiter for Lundin Oil’s operations in Sudan from 1999 to 2003. The company calls the charges ‘impossible and grossly inaccurate.’ The Jurist reports that the defendants also vehemently deny any wrongdoing. Swedish prosecutors began their investigation in 2010 in response to Unpaid Debt, a report by Dutch NGO PAX. According to the report, in 1997, members of an oil consortium led by Lundin Oil signed a contract with the Government of Sudan for oil exploration rights in an oil concession called ‘Block 5A.’ The arrival of the oil consortium led to a government policy of forced deportation of locals and exacerbated civil war in the region. Block 5A was a centre point of conflict. From 1997-2003, thousands died and almost 200 000 were displaced.The Jurist notes that the crimes will be prosecuted on the basis of universal jurisdiction as provided for in Chapter 2, Section 3 (6) of the Swedish Penal Code. According to PAX, the trial is the first time since the Nuremburg trials that a multi-billion dollar company stands accused of aiding and abetting war crimes. Thirty-two South Sudanese plaintiffs also filed claims against Lundin and Schneiter for damages related to Lundin Oil’s activities, but those claims have been separated from the present proceeding, which concerns war crimes.

Unpaid Debt

Full Jurist report

Full report in The East African