South Sudan and Sudan Reach Deal to Resume Vital Oil Exports!

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has reached an agreement with Sudan's de facto leader, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, to resume vital oil exports from the landlocked nation through Sudan. The ongoing civil war in Sudan has severely disrupted South Sudan’s oil industry, a cornerstone of its economy. However, after four months of repairs to damaged infrastructure, the oil flow is set to restart. Despite this progress, concerns remain over whether the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which control much of the territory the oil would traverse, will permit the exports. President Kiir and Gen Burhan discussed this issue during talks on Monday in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

South Sudan's Foreign Minister, Ramadan Abdalla Goc, highlighted the discussions in a joint press conference with his Sudanese counterpart, noting that the talks focused on "pressing issues impacting both countries" and emphasized the importance of cooperation for regional peace and stability. Goc further stated that Gen Burhan confirmed Sudanese engineers had completed the technical preparations required for the resumption of oil production. South Sudanese engineers are expected to visit Sudan in the coming weeks to verify the readiness of the facilities. Once confirmed, the two nations will announce the official restart of oil exports. The International Crisis Group has noted that the civil war in Sudan has severely impacted South Sudan’s revenue, which heavily depends on oil.

In addition to oil exports, the talks also addressed re-opening humanitarian corridors to facilitate aid deliveries between the two nations. President Kiir reaffirmed his commitment to supporting peace and stability in Sudan during the discussions. ⚡ Image Credit: GettyImages