Sudan denies interruption in South Sudanese oil exportation

April 27, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s military council has dismissed statements by South Sudanese government about the interruption of oil exportation by oil workers who went on strike as part of the protests against former President al-Bashir.

Michael Makuei South Sudanese Information Minister told reporters in Juba that an unknown quantity of oil had failed to be lifted from a pipeline to oil tankers in Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

He further said that “Certain chemicals used for processing the oil in South Sudan, which are supposed to be imported from Port Sudan, are stranded because the staff of the oil companies have also joined the strike”.

In response, Shams al-Din Kabbashi, Spokesperson of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) issued a statement on Saturday saying that the oil flow from South Sudan is not affected by the political developments in the country.

Kabbashi “denied what some media had said about the interruption of oil flow from South Sudan,” stressed a statement released by his office.

“On the other hand, Major General Marine Engineer Ibrahim Jaber Ibrahim, member of the Economic Committee, pointed out that (Sudan’s) strictly committed to the flow (of South Sudan’s) oil for exports and that there are no obstacles to this”.

Two days after al-Bashir removal on 13 April, South Sudanese Oil Minister Ezekiel Lul Gatkuoth told Reuters that he verified the situation with technical teams in oil fields from both countries adding “the oil is flowing as normal”.

(ST)