South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
Dr. Mohieldien Naiem Mohamed Saied, Undersecretary of Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, has informed his South Sudanese counterpart of the decision to halt operations at several vital oil transport and processing facilities in Heglig.
“It is Sudan’s decision to initiate the shutdown process of oil infrastructure, including both PETCO and BAPCO transportation systems, and the two central processing facilities,” Saied stated in a letter seen by the Dawn, addressed to Deng Lual Wol, Undersecretary of South Sudan’s Ministry of Petroleum.
Saied revealed that, following consultations with relevant authorities, Sudan has instructed its operators—2B OPCO, Petrolines for Crude Oil (PETCO), and Bashayer Pipeline Company (BAPCO)—to coordinate a safe shutdown with their South Sudanese counterparts, namely Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC), Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), and Sudd Petroleum Operating Company (SPOC).
“While we remain committed to the evacuation of South Sudan’s crude oil, which is a lifeline for our sisterly country, the operational reality dictated by these attacks—particularly regarding the safety of our personnel—is continuously jeopardized by the militias’ terrorist actions,” he said.
The letter from Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum cited the “systematic targeting of energy infrastructure” by the RSF militia, which has severely damaged facilities serving both countries.
“We have instructed our operators, 2B OPCO, PETCO, and BAPCO, to coordinate a safe shutdown of these facilities with their counterparts in South Sudan, DPOC, GPOC, and SPOC. We trust that instructions will be issued from the Ministry of Petroleum to the operators in your domain,” he said.
The decision was later confirmed by Ling Zongfa, President of DPOC, who was notified by Mohamed Awad, General Manager of BAPCO—the entity responsible for transporting South Sudan’s crude to Port Sudan.
Sudan’s move, prompted by the RSF’s escalating attacks on critical oil infrastructure, marks another significant disruption to South Sudan’s oil exports, which rely entirely on Sudanese pipelines and processing facilities for transportation to international markets.
The conflict, which began in April 2023, has resulted in over 1.2 million refugees crossing from Sudan into South Sudan, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the already struggling country.
