Advertisement

Juba and Khartoum agree on oil production resumption

Sunday June 10 2018
South Sudan map
By JOSEPH ODUHA

South Sudan and the Sudan have agreed to reopen oil wells in the contested Heglig along their common border.

South Sudan's Information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei announced that a joint team from Juba and Khartoum would soon assess the damage to the oil wells in the area inflicted by the 2012 war between the neighbouring armies.

He added that the wells would be repaired for the oil flow to resume in three months.

Three months

“The two sides have agreed to reopen all the wells within three months,” Mr Makuei said.

The pronouncement came following a visit by Khartoum Foreign Affairs minister Al-Dirdiri Mohamed to Juba on Tuesday.

Advertisement

Heglig is located between Southern Kordofan in the north and former Unity State in the south. The area remains a source of tension between the two countries.

Despite its vast mineral resources particularly oil, South Sudan is gripped by poverty and poor economic growth.

Worsened hunger

Politicians from the young nation have been accused of squandering the oil money to benefit them rather than improve the public infrastructure and the entire development.

President Salva Kiir leadership has been blamed for poor economic policies that have worsened hunger, underdevelopment and poverty in the young nation.

Advertisement