South Sudan, Sudan agree to reactivate cooperation agreements

October 7, 2025 (JUBA) – Sudan and South Sudan have agreed to reactivate a series of cooperation agreements focusing on security and the economy, Juba’s foreign minister said on Monday, in a bid to strengthen relations strained by instability in both countries.

The announcement followed a weekend visit by South Sudanese Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba to Port Sudan, Sudan’s de facto capital since the outbreak of conflict in 2023.

Upon his return, Kumba said he delivered a message from South Sudan’s president to the leader of Sudan’s Sovereign Council.

“I delivered a message from his excellency, the president, to his brother, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, reiterating our commitment to reactivating all the cooperation agreements our countries have signed,” Kumba told reporters in Juba.

During the visit, the South Sudanese diplomat met with several senior officials, including al-Burhan, Prime Minister Kamal Idris, and the Sudanese ministers of foreign affairs, interior, and energy and oil. He also held talks with Sudan’s director of general intelligence.

According to a communiqué, the talks focused on improving cross-border monitoring and control mechanisms, protecting oil infrastructure, enhancing border security, and strengthening economic cooperation. The two sides also discussed intelligence sharing and counterterrorism efforts.

Sudan and South Sudan signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement in 2012, committing both nations to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. A monitoring mechanism was also established to handle complaints regarding border disputes.

However, the pact, seen as an opportunity to improve relations after clashes over the Heglig oil region in 2012, has remained largely ineffective due to repeated violations and ongoing internal conflicts that have created a volatile relationship between the two neighbours.