Lundin Petroleum AB acquired rights to explore for oil and gas in South Sudan in 1997, in Ethiopia in 2006, and in Kenya in 2007. In the spring of 2009 the company relinquished its interest in South Sudan and sold affiliated companies that held concessions in Ethiopia and Kenya. It thus put an end to twelve years of oil

exploration in East Africa. This article describes Lundin Petroleum’s experiences and how it managed conflict or potential conflict situations. It seeks to make a case for responsible action not only by the private sector, but by other actors, such as governments, academics, media, or civil society, all involved in one way or another with Africa’s development process. The article provides an overview of the company’s experience in Sudan,

followed by an account of its first steps in Ethiopia and Kenya, and concludes with the lessons learned from working in East Africa.