Calgary-based oil company Talisman Energy Inc. has bowed to international pressure from human rights activists and announced it is selling its share in a controversial Sudanese oil project and pulling out of Sudan.

For years, activists have been criticizing Talisman for operating in Sudan, where royalties from oil operations have been funding the Sudanese government and its military operations.

Meagan Smith-Windsor, of the Calgary-based group Project Sudan, says "revenues from Talisman’s operations were going to the Sudanese government and the government was using those royalties to finance the military and attacks on civilians in southern Sudan."

Conservative estimates say over two million Sudanese have been killed and millions more displaced in the twenty-year war between the Islamic dictatorship and non-Muslims in the South. The United States government has stated that "the acts of the Government of Sudan…constitute genocide."

Project Sudan, along with numerous human rights groups including Amnesty International have also alleged that the Sudanese military has used Talisman airstrips to launch attacks on civilians and that Sudanese were intentionally displaced to allow more oil exploration to ensure greater profits.

Having long argued that Talisman’s presence in Sudan was an instrument for positive change, chief executive officer Jim Buckee admitted that the US$750 million sale was motivated in part by grassroots pressure from human rights activists.

"We felt the controversy…detracted from the strength of our other assets. Shareholders have told me they were tired of continually having to monitor and analyze events relating to Sudan."

Smith-Windsor says the pullout of Talisman will have a major impact on human rights in the country. "Without the access to the capital and expertise Talisman provided, oil production is expected to drop by 30%. This means 30% less revenue, less military, and a decrease in the military campaign against the Southern Sudanese."

Martin Yoll of the Federation of Sudanese Community in Canada agrees, saying the victory will have a wider impact, forcing other companies operating in Sudan to question their presence there.

Yoll adds that the campaign against Talisman is not over. "Talisman has to be held to account for what happened. We are seeking accountability for directors and executives who turned a blind eye to the genocide they were supporting in Sudan."