General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, has received a written message from South Sudanese President Salva Kiir regarding bilateral relations and oil security.
The Transitional Sovereignty Council confirmed that al-Burhan received the message from President Kiir’s envoy, Tut Gatluak. The message focused on enhancing and developing the relationship between Sudan and South Sudan.
Tut Gatluak, the presidential envoy, arrived in Port Sudan on Sunday, leading a high-level delegation that included South Sudan’s Ministers of Presidential Affairs and Petroleum.
In a press statement, Security Advisor Tut Gatluak said he met with al-Burhan to discuss South Sudanese oil. He noted that the oil transportation pipelines have been disrupted by the ongoing war in Sudan due to continued military clashes.
Tut explained that al-Burhan promised to help ensure the flow of South Sudanese oil through Sudanese territory. He said they agreed to organize a meeting between the petroleum ministries of both countries to address the issue, which is crucial for both nations.
South Sudan’s oil pipeline to international markets, which passes through neighbouring Sudan, was damaged as a result of fighting between Sudan’s warring parties.
Income from oil exports is critical to South Sudan’s government. The war in neighbouring Sudan has led oil revenues to fall precipitously, raising fears that South Sudan’s economy could collapse.
The incident occurred in early February, prompting the Dar Petroleum Oil Company to suspend loadings. The rupture happened in Sudan’s Nile State, an area controlled by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which is fighting the Sudanese army for power in the country.
A team of technical experts has been unable to fix the pipeline due to ongoing fighting.