South Sudan oil exports from Sudan port halted

By Tapeng Michael Ohure

South Sudan’s crude export through a port in Sudan has been temporarily stopped due to the ongoing political crisis in the neighbouring country.

Information Minister Michael Michael Lueth says the compounding situation has however not stopped oil production in South Sudan.

Makuei however maintained that stoppage was temporary and the situation would resume as soon as normalcy return in Sudan.

“Of course the current development in Khartoum has nothing to do with the flow of our oil though it is affecting it for the time being but definitely it will continue to flow,” Lueth said.

“While it has stopped for the time being but now it will flow.”

Lueth said the crisis in Khartoum is an “internal problem and it has nothing to do with the flow of our oil”.

On the issue of storage facility, Minister Makuei said the storage capacity is still okay adding that hopefully the resumption would not last longer.

“Exports first stopped when the Beja people of Port Sudan went on strike, they resumed later on and stopped again on Monday,” he said.

South Sudan depends 98 percent on oil revenue to fund its budget. The country exports its crude oil through Port Sudan to the international market.

Both Sudan and South Sudan have stopped exporting their oil to the world market due to the current insurgence.

The Military Sovereign Council leaders took over leadership from the civilian leader Prime Minister Dr. Abdalla Hamdok through a military coup early Monday morning.

They dissolved the transitional government and declared a state of emergency.

Both the US and UN have condemned the coup and called on the military leaders to respect the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement.

Biden’s administration has announced suspension of $700 million dollars in support to the humanitarian situation in Sudan. The US also says it is now reviewing bilateral relations with Sudan.