Crude oil exports from South Sudan have resumed through Port Sudan, weeks after a series of drone attacks targeted critical infrastructure at the Red Sea facility, South Sudanese officials confirmed.
The development comes after a tense period during which the Sudanese government instructed energy firms to prepare for a potential halt in the transit of South Sudanese crude.
The move severely impacted South Sudan, a landlocked country that depends on oil exports for over 90% of its national revenue.
Technical cooperation restores oil flow
On Tuesday, Mubarak Mahjoub Musa, Sudan’s Deputy Ambassador to South Sudan, told Radio Tamazuj, a local station, that technical teams from both countries had successfully repaired the damage and restored operations at Port Sudan.
“We have [had production back] for nearly a month now—I cannot recall the exact date, but operations are running smoothly,” Musa said.
“The damage was repaired through joint technical committees between Juba and Port Sudan. I can confirm everything is functioning.”
War-driven disruptions and infrastructure attacks
The resumption of oil exports comes amid the ongoing conflict between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Since its onset in April 2023, the civil war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced over 13 million people, significantly impacting logistics and export operations through Port Sudan.
South Sudan, which exports approximately 110,000 barrels of oil per day, relies entirely on Sudan’s infrastructure to move its crude to international markets.
Sudan, in return, earns vital transit fees from these exports.
In early May, South Sudan resumed full oil exports nearly a year after a force majeure was declared on the main pipeline, which had sustained severe damage due to the internal conflict in Sudan.
However, just days after that announcement, key infrastructure—including pump stations and fuel depots in army-controlled areas—was struck by RSF forces, intensifying the disruption to energy supplies and further destabilizing the region.
Economic fallout and worker grievances
Despite the resumption of exports, the economic ripple effects remain severe.
Rising fuel shortages and attacks on infrastructure have contributed to the escalating cost of living in both Sudan and South Sudan, extending to nearby communities in the eastern African region..
In South Sudan, workers at Nilepet, the state-owned oil company, report ongoing wage issues despite production returning.
Nancy Malir, a member of the Nilepet Workers Union, confirmed that although operations had resumed, salaries remained unpaid.
“Our salaries were cut by 70%, and management promised arrears once production resumed, but nothing has been paid,” she told Radio Tamazuj.
As a result, Nilepet employees are currently on strike, demanding the payment of back wages and other owed benefits.
A fragile recovery amidst promising economic forecasts
While oil exports have resumed, the continued fragility of the situation raises concerns about South Sudan’s broader economic stability.
The frequent disruptions to crude flow threaten to derail the country’s projected double-digit economic growth for 2024.
In April, Afreximbank projected that South Sudan’s GDP would grow by an impressive 17%, citing an expected strong rebound in oil production and exports.
However, ongoing instability and labor unrest could becloud this optimistic outlook.
