South Sudan’s Kiir to visit India

August 9, 2012 (JUBA) – South Sudan president, Salva Kiir will later this month set foot in India on the invitation of his Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee.

India’s special envoy to South Sudan, P.S. Raghavan on Friday met president Kiir during which he delivered Mukherjee’s message.

Both Kiir and the Indian envoy reportedly discussed issues of bilateral relations, economic development and capacity building programs.

Kiir, according to South Sudan’s new foreign minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin expressed deep regret over the killing of Indian peacekeepers by militias in a remote part of Jonglei state last April.

At least five Indian soldiers, working for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were killed in an ambush by unidentified attackers in the country’s largest state.

India recognised South Sudan on 10 July 2011, a day after the latter became an independent state.

OIL INTERESTS

In May this year, ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas investment arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), announced it had resumed crude oil production from its oilfields in South Sudan.

South Sudan resumed oil production in April after last year’s shutdown resulting from a dispute over transit fees with neighbouring Sudan. The young nation also took with it 75% of the oil it previously shared with Sudan, when it seceded from the latter in July 2011.

OVL, previously, held a 24.125% stake in Block 5A and 25% in Blocks 1, 2 and 4 in Sudan. After South Sudan’s split in July 2011, however, Block 5A went to the new nation, while fields in Block 1, 2 and 4 were split between the two countries.

The Indian company jointly operates Block 5A with Petronas of Malaysia.

(ST)