South Kordofan state government has enforced stricter control points on the border with South Sudan in order to prevent goods ‘smuggling’ from Sudan according to the state minister for information, Rajab al-Basha.
The announcement follows confirmation that the state government will bring a case under Sudanese law against the owners of trucks seized last week, accused of trying to smuggle goods across the border into South Sudan.
Al-Basha claimed in his press statement yesterday that the authorities will only ‘reactivate’ the pre-established controls. “The government will deal firmly with these smugglers,” al-Basha stressed.
Citizens from both Sudan and South Sudan have complained about the impact of repeated border closures on the local economies and cross-border trade. However, tensions remain high between the two nations as post-independent disputes continue to trigger insecurity along the border region.