Sudan, South Sudan Discuss Resumption of Oil Transportation

KHARTOUM, Xinhua: Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Sunday held talks with South Sudan’s Presidential Advisor on National Security Tut Gatluak on the resumption of South Sudan’s oil transportation through Sudanese territories.

“South Sudan’s oil transportation line has been affected by the war in Sudan, and it is currently suspended due to the continued military operations at the areas alongside the line,” Gatluak was quoted as saying in a statement by the sovereign council.

He said it has been agreed that a meeting will be held between the oil ministries of the two countries to discuss solutions to this issue, noting that, “Oil constitutes a lifeline for the citizens of both countries.”

Gatluak also delivered a written message from South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit regarding the development of bilateral ties, said the statement.

In March, the Sudanese government announced the suspension of South Sudan’s oil exports through Sudanese territories due to a fault in the transportation lines.

According to the Sudanese authorities, the fault was the result of a blockage in an underground pipeline situated at areas controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, north of Sudan’s White Nile State.

Oil exports constitute the main source of South Sudan’s national revenue, and the country heavily depends on Sudan, its northern neighbor, to transport oil to international markets.