South Sudan and Sudan are making progress toward resuming the flow of South Sudan’s crude oil through the pipeline that traverses Sudan, a critical move for South Sudan’s oil-dependent economy.
In a statement released on September 16, 2024, following a meeting in Juba between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Kiir’s office confirmed that Sudanese engineers have completed the necessary technical preparations for the resumption of oil production.
The statement also indicated that South Sudanese engineers are expected to visit Sudan in the coming weeks to assess the readiness of the facilities to facilitate a quick restart of production.
“There has been a breakthrough, and news of it will be public very soon,” said South Sudan’s Finance Minister Marial Dongrin Ater during a news conference.
The pipeline had been damaged during clashes between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces in February, resulting in a halt to oil exports.
This disruption has had severe repercussions, including environmental contamination and rising food prices in Sudan.
The resumption of oil exports is crucial not only for South Sudan’s economy, which heavily relies on oil revenue, but also for Sudan, which receives transit fees from the oil transported through its territory. Before the conflict, South Sudan was exporting approximately 150,000 barrels of crude oil daily through Sudan.
