Juba, South Sudan
January 22, 2022—The government of South Sudan and Sudan are expected to reopen bilateral trade corridors to allow flow of commodities to strengthen trade relations between the two sisterly countries.
This comes as a result of a meeting held by South Sudan gov’t delegation led by Tut Gatluak Manime and Head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The meeting also elaborated on the issues to do with boosting mutual cooperation, improvement of transport sector and opening of trade routes to ease trade and enhance economic development for the two countries.
In a statement seen by Nyamilepedia, the Presidential Advisor on National Security Tut Gatluak Manime says the routes that will be reopened include the land border points in Western and Northern Barh El-Ghazal States, Heglig in Unity State and river transport routes.
Hon. Gatluak says they have agreed with Sudanese’s top military General, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for the two countries to resume their cross-border movements.
“.. We have discussed with the head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council the opening of trade corridors that will allow movement of goods between two sisterly countries, and he assured us that they will immediately open border passage of some of the areas we have agreed on as per previous meeting’s timetable “, Gatluak said in a statement obtained by Nyamilepedia.
Gatluak stressed that an excellent movement of commodities from neighboring Sudan to South Sudan would give Sudan a high chance of benefiting from South Sudan.
The borders between the two countries were closed in 2012 following war over the disputed oil-rich area, Panthou which is also known as “Heglig”.
Last year, the Minister of Defense and Veteran affairs, Hon. Angelina Teny, discussed the same issues with the Sudanese authorities to re-open trade routes; however, no progress was made once Hon. Teny left Khartoum, Sudan.
