China tries to mediate Sudan oil impasse

JUBA, South Sudan – China inserted itself into the fight over oil between Sudan and its former territory South Sudan, sending a special envoy to try to break a deadlock between two rivals who often appear on the brink of renewed conflict.

South Sudan’s Minister of Petroleum and Mining Stephen Dhieu Dau told The Associated Press that Chinese diplomat Liu Guijin arrived in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, on Wednesday. His arrival comes one week after China’s Foreign Ministry publicly asked Sudan and South Sudan to resolve the issue through ‘friendly consultations’.China is a major buyer of and investor in Sudanese oil. It owns a stake in the two pipelines running through Sudan and has dozens of workers in the region’s oil fields. Guijin was in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, yesterday for more talks.’They are concerned as investors about the negotiations, so he came to listen to exactly why the two parties have not been able to reach an agreement,’ said Dau, adding that Guijin said China doesn’t want to see a ‘worst-case scenario’ – a shutdown of the oil flow.South Sudan split off from Sudan in July, severing Africa’s largest country in two following a 2005 peace treaty that ended nearly five decades of war between the mostly Arab north and mostly black south.The economic future of the two countries remains intertwined, however. While most of the oil is in South Sudan, the world’s newest country must pump it through two pipelines that run through Sudan.At the centre of the dispute are the transit fees South Sudan must pay to use the pipelines. South Sudan said in a statement last week that it offered to pay an average of 70 cents for each barrel sent through the pipelines. Sudan, the south said, was demanding $36 a barrel.Dau called that ‘unacceptable and exaggerated’. Dau said South Sudan’s proposal to Khartoum includes US$2,6 billion in financial assistance to its northern neighbour. – Nampa-AP

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.