Sudan and South Sudan have emphasized the urgency of resolving the challenges hindering the resumption of South Sudan’s oil exports through Sudanese territory.
This was highlighted during a meeting between Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council and General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Tut Gatluak, South Sudan’s Presidential Advisor on National Security, in Port Sudan, the capital of Red Sea State.
Gatluak reaffirmed that both nations’ technical teams are prepared to increase oil production and ensure smooth transportation through Sudan’s Bashayer Port. He underscored South Sudan’s commitment to implementing agreements made with Sudan to facilitate oil flow, noting that “oil is a lifeline for the people of both countries.”
The two nations are expected to hold a follow-up meeting between their energy and petroleum ministries. The oil industry is vital to South Sudan’s economy, which depends heavily on Sudan to transport oil to global markets.
In March, oil exports were suspended due to a blockage in the underground pipeline in White Nile State, an area under the control of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudan remains embroiled in a violent conflict between the SAF and RSF, which began in April 2023. Recent data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) indicates that over 24,850 lives have been lost since the conflict erupted.
