ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the emergence and evolution of the two strands of Canada's relationship with Sudan. The first of these strands, variously referred to as human security, humane internationalism, and humanitarian concerns, emerged in the early 1980s in response to the evolving humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa and was reflected in a number of issues, notably the provision of humanitarian assistance, the promotion of human rights, and support for the peace process.2 The second strand involved Canadian investor interests overseas. The purchase of a one-quarter interest in Sudan's oil operations in southern Sudan by Talisman Energy, a Canadian corporation, confronted policy makers in Ottawa with a real dilemma: Were these two dimensions of Canada's relations with Sudan compatible with each other, or were they irreconcilable? Would Talisman's presence in Sudan provide the citizens of that country, as it claimed, with 'the promise of a better life' and serve further as a 'catalyst for peace' (Sheppard and Manhas 2000)?3 Or, alternatively, would its participation in the development of the Greater Nile Project undermine the search for a peaceful settlement, intensify Khartoum's campaign of human rights abuses, and thus derail Ottawa's attempts at establishing a humane foreign policy?
