Organizers of peaceful protests in Melut County of Upper Nile State said the government and Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC) agreed to meet their demands, disclosing that they agreed to form committees to follow up on the implementation process.

Last week, youths in Melut area staged protests to demand services from Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC). The protesters called on the oil company to provide corporate social responsibility services in their area.

Dar Petroleum Operating Company, an oil and gas consortium led by China National Petroleum Corp and Malaysia’s state-run oil and gas firm Petronas, is operating oilfields in Upper Nile State.

Thon Beny Thon, the spokesperson for the group that organized the protests, told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that they agreed with the government and the oil company to form several committees to follow up on the implementation of the demands made by the protesters.

He said it was agreed at the meeting that the committees to be formed will follow up on employment of local youths in oil companies and implement health and education projects in areas lacking services.

According to Thon, the agreement stipulates that roads and water networks be built in the oil-producing area.

"The agreement stipulates that the implementation must be done directly by the company under the supervision of the Ministry of Petroleum and the follow-up committees, starting immediately after the agreement,” he explained.

Thon said protesters had demanded that three modern hospitals be built in the area to avoid overcrowding in the oil company's hospital.