Foreign Minister Carl Bildt?

Fluffiga anklagelser - DN.se: "Genom vägbygget gjorde Lundin Oil ett stort område som annars inte hade gått att nå tillgängligt för milisen, enligt rapporten. Därmed är Lundin Oil medskyldiga till folkfördrivningen, menar man och insinuerar helt utan bevis att företaget byggt vägen i syfte att underlätta fördrivningen."

It is interesting to see that DN.se has to kick Bildt for being nice to him in an article by saying he showed poor judgment. Charlie Weimers says on his blog that only 1/3 of journalists sympathizes with the center-right Alliansen which carries a possible explanation.

However, I cannot help finding it interesting that building a road, normally considered as an aid project, is used by interest groups to charge a Swedish oil company for vile behavior. What is going to happen in Afghanistan when roads are going to be built? Who is going to invest when they will become accused that the Taliban used their road?

It seems to me that going in in countries like Somalia, Sudan and Afghanistan with investments will have to consider those in power locally. The alternative is to stay out and leave these countries as they are. It is also my assumption the multinationals originating in the West are more favorable to a country than those emanating from authoritarian countries.

The article brings up a citation from Adolf Lundin, the Chairman of the Board of Lundin Oil where he states: "that they work without regard for political risks (...) the only thing that is important for us is that we are on to something really big". It seems to me that such a statement is a mere explanation of why investments in Sudan are being made at all. Companies are becoming aware of the need of showing more humanitarian concern, which is good, all the more reason then that they are on to something big in order to afford this.