Sudan, South Sudan agree on joint economic committee, Heglig oil coordination
December 16, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan and South Sudan announced Tuesday they had held talks to enhance coordination on securing, operating, and managing the Heglig oil field in West Kordofan State, and agreed to establish a joint economic committee.
Tut Gatluak, Advisor to the President of South Sudan for Foreign Affairs and Security, led a delegation that included South Sudan’s Foreign Minister, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum, and technical experts, for discussions with officials in Port Sudan from December 13 to 16.
A joint statement released after the talks indicated that Gatluak and his delegation held a fruitful discussion at Sudan’s Ministry of Petroleum aimed at strengthening cooperation, consultation, and coordination between the two nations across various oil sectors. The talks specifically covered securing, operating, and managing the oil fields in Heglig, particularly in light of recent attacks in the area.
The Heglig oil field, located in South Kordofan State, is critical as it contains 75 oil wells and a central processing facility with a capacity of 130,000 barrels, primarily handling South Sudanese oil produced in Unity State and exported via Sudanese territory.
The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) had deployed to the Heglig oil field on December 10, following a tripartite agreement between al-Burhan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, according to officials in Juba. This deployment occurred two days after the RSF had seized control of Heglig, following the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) vacating their defensive positions and withdrawing into South Sudanese territory, where they were reportedly disarmed.
The Juba delegation conducted a field visit to the oil export ports in Port Sudan. They also discussed the smooth flow of crude oil export operations with PetroLines for crude oil and Bashayer for pipelines, the companies responsible for transporting South Sudanese crude.
The two countries agreed to form a Supreme Economic Committee, to be chaired by the Prime Minister on the Sudanese side and the Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan. They also committed to activating other joint committees, expanding smart partnerships, and exchanging political and diplomatic support in regional and international forums.
Tut Gatluak, who met with Sudanese Sovereign Council member Shams al Din Kabbashi—who stressed the necessity of protecting and operating the oil fields—explained that the visit was part of efforts to achieve peace and mutual benefits, asserting that peace in South Sudan depends on achieving peace in Sudan.