2007年VOA标准英语-Somali Officials Deny Selling Oil Rights

By Nick Wadhams
Nairobi
08 August 2007

Officials with Somalia's transitional government are promising¹ not to begin searching for oil until after parliament adopts a new petroleum² law and their shattered country achieves peace. But as Nick Wadhams reports from Nairobi, new evidence suggests they are looking to carve up oil rights.

advisor3 Daniel Bourzat before giving a press conference on the final day of AU summit in Accra (File Photo)" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070811/1052380.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Somali PM Ali Mohamed Gedi, left, listens to his special advisor Daniel Bourzat before giving a press conference on the final day of AU summit in Accra (File Photo)

Last month, the Financial Times reported that President Abdullahi Yusuf had awarded Prime Minister Gedi and his staff are promising not to sign any deals until a natural resources law is enacted⁴. Parliament is scheduled to consider the bill this week.

Somalia's ambassador to Kenya, Mohamed Ali Nur, denies there is a split within the Somali government. He tells VOA that officials understand peace must come to the turbulent country before exploration begins.

"I do not believe that any deals have been signed and even the one by the Chinese company I think the prime minister gave an interview to a news agency saying that it is annulled⁵ and he was not aware of it and nothing can be signed until the law is passed," said Nur. "The reports that we have been getting from different sources is that we have a lot of resources we can explore, but peace should come first."

The priority that officials are putting on oil, despite Somalia's turbulence⁶, is another sign that many African leaders are looking to oil to jump-start their economies.

Neighboring Ethiopia's battle with a rebel group in the east is believed to be partly the result of its desire to protect what it believes are natural resources there. The rebel group, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, has warned oil companies to stay away, and killed 74 people in a raid on a Chinese-run oil facility in April.

Oil experts say the previous estimates about Somalia's small reserves are based on outdated⁷ technology. Dianne Sutherland, the editor of Petroleum Africa magazine, says Somali officials have quietly been laying the groundwork for a potential oil boom.

"Until they actually get in there and start utilizing⁸ this new technology to have a new look, you do not really know. Oil exploration will definitely get underway in Somalia. 'When?', is the question. They have already signed quite a few contracts with various smaller independent exploration companies," said Sutherland.

Any new concessions⁹ will no doubt raise questions for the companies that had exploration rights in Somalia before the 1991 civil war began.

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

2 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

3 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

4 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

5 annulled   

v.宣告无效( annul的过去式和过去分词 )；取消；使消失；抹去

参考例句：

• Their marriage was annulled after just six months. 他们的婚姻仅过半年就宣告取消。
• Many laws made by the former regime have been annulled. 前政权制定的许多法律被宣布无效。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 turbulence   

n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流

参考例句：

• The turbulence caused the plane to turn over.空气的激流导致飞机翻转。
• The world advances amidst turbulence.世界在动荡中前进。

7 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

8 utilizing   

v.利用，使用( utilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Utilizing an assembler to produce a machine-language program. 用汇编程序产生机器语言的过程。 来自辞典例句
• The study and use of devices utilizing properties of materials near absolute zero in temperature. 对材料在接近绝对零度时的特性进行研究和利用的学科。 来自辞典例句

9 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。