Sudan blocks South Sudan oil over rebel disarmament, Kiir says
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir said neighboring Sudan is demanding that his government disarm rebels fighting the government in Khartoum before it allows the south to restart oil exports.
“It is an impossible mission which our brothers in the government in Khartoum would want us to undertake,” Kiir told state governors today in the capital, Juba. “Because of this Khartoum authorities have refused to accept passage of South Sudan oil through their territory to market.”
The rebels in Sudan’s Blue Nile and oil-rich Southern Kordofan states formerly fought with South Sudanese forces during a two-decade civil war between the north and south that ended in 2005.
South Sudan halted production in January after accusing the northern government of stealing $815 million of its oil, which Sudan said it took to recover unpaid transportation and processing fees. That and other disputes, including over border security, brought the countries to the brink of war in April.
South Sudan announced that crude would begin to flow by the end of this month after the two countries reached agreements in September on border security and oil fees.
Before the shutdown, South Sudan produced as much as 350,000 barrels a day. The oil is pumped mainly by China National Petroleum Corp., Malaysia’s Petroliam Nasional Bhd. And India’s ONGC Videsh Ltd.
South Sudan ships its oil through northern pipelines to an export terminal on the Red Sea.
“When we signed the cooperation agreement we thought it was going to be implemented unconditionally,” Kiir saod. “Now it appears that we have to renegotiate its implementation again.”
Kiir said during a conversation two days ago, Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir promised to invite South Sudanese officials to Khartoum to negotiate border security issues.
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