Sudan and South Sudan have struck a new deal to protect vital oil installations and strengthen cooperation on energy and security matters.
In a joint statement issued Monday, the two nations pledged to secure oil fields, central pumping stations, and pipelines transporting South Sudan’s crude through Port Sudan on the Red Sea. They also committed to improving technical capacity and increasing oil production.
The agreement, reached during a three-day official visit to Sudan by South Sudan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Monday Semaya Kumba, includes broader cooperation on counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, and border security.
In a bid to deepen economic integration, the two governments announced the formation of a Joint Economic Committee to promote trade, investment, and infrastructure development — spanning sectors like energy, oil, agriculture, and transport.
They further proposed the establishment of a free trade zone at Port Sudan, designed to ease cross-border trade, support oil logistics, and fast-track the movement of goods to South Sudan.
During his visit to Port Sudan, Minister Kumba met with General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, and other top officials.
Oil remains the backbone of South Sudan’s economy, with exports passing through Sudan’s territory to global markets — a partnership that continues to bind the two nations despite past tensions.
