South Sudan to bolster Sudan border monitoring, citing security risks
May 11, 2025 (JUBA) – South Sudan said on Sunday it would reinforce monitoring along its borders, especially with Sudan, citing an increase in unauthorized movements that it said were undermining national security.
South Sudan’s National Security Adviser, Dut Dut Yel, said the government aimed to curb illicit activities heightened by increased cross-border movements. He said the strategy would also support trade with Uganda, where border infrastructure has been developed, and promote stable relations with Sudan, currently strained by the conflict that began there in April 2023.
“Security is an integrated effort to ensure safety and the growth of mutual relations with neighbouring countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, which are currently experiencing increased movements for trade or other reasons,” Yel, described as a veteran military officer, said.
Yel said the government would seek support from international partners to implement regulations for cross-border data transfers as part of its focus on border control and data security. These measures are seen as a response to regional tensions, particularly concerning Sudan, but also involving other neighbouring countries.
The adviser added that Juba is also focused on efforts to help restore peace in neighbouring Sudan, advocating for a resolution through dialogue. This diplomatic approach has led to visits to Juba by rival Sudanese leaders, he said.
President Salva Kiir met with Abdelrahim Hamdan Daglo, deputy commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), on July 18, 2024. 1
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council and its army chief, visited Juba on Sept. 16, 2024, for talks that included the resumption of oil exports from landlocked South Sudan via Sudan.
During Burhan’s visit, Kiir’s administration raised concerns about an aerial bombardment in Khor Tombak, Upper Nile state in South Sudan, by Sudanese forces. The attack, reportedly targeting Sudanese army defectors who had joined the RSF, killed two children and destroyed civilian homes, fueling fears of the Sudan conflict spilling over.