Africa... States of Independence
Martin Petri
The consultant and human rights activist looks at the impact of oil exploitation on Chad’s people.
Martin Petri is a consultant focussing on peacebuilding and conflict transformation in Chad. He works closely with local human rights and peace organisations and a number of networks of civil society organisations concentrating on the problems around the exploitation of oil.
He had been working in Chad from 1991-1994 to support rural development in southern Chad, working closely with development organisations building schools, sinking wells to improve the water situation, and to improve agriculture production systems.
During his time in Chad Esso just started oil exploration in Doba in 1994. Petri remembers the company setting up a fly camp and was impressed that it took them just three days to have electricity, and drinking water in the whole camp while it took Petri and his organisation six month up to one year to set up a well in the villages.
That was the beginning of his personal involvement in Chad’s oil projects. After some research he decided to help the people of Chad and make them aware of the problems linked to oil exploitation, but also to influence the design of the Chad-Cameroon oil and pipeline project.