South Sudan says that the first shipment of its oil was exported to international markets via the Sudanese pipeline infrastructure on Saturday. “This represents the first shipment since the export process was stopped in 2011.”

The Vice President of South Sudan is currently visiting Khartoum to settle a dispute that threatens crude oil supplies across the border. In June, Sudan informed landlocked South Sudan that it would shut the pipelines which transport South Sudan’s oil across the border to Port Sudan within two months “if Juba does not stop supporting rebels operating in the border area between the two countries”.

South Sudan’s Minister of Information, Bernaba Marial Benjamin, confirmed that the first shipment of the South Sudan government’s oil has left Port Sudan to the Red Sea.

The Vice President of South Sudan, Riek Machar, met with Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir on Sunday for a two-day visit. His accompanying delegation includes Oil Minister Stephen Deo Dow.

Related coverage:

South Sudan VP to visit Khartoum on Sunday (21 June 2013)

Sudan edges back from oil showdown with South (10 June)

‘All treaties with South Sudan cancelled’ as Khartoum vows to halt flow of oil (10 June 2013)