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U.N. Urges Sudan To Keep Oil Pipeline Over To South Sudan

U.N. Urges Sudan To Keep Oil Pipeline Over To South Sudan

Sudan has been threatening to cut off South Sudan oil supply. But now the U.N. Security Council is urging Sudan not to shut down oil pipelines that are the sole conduit for crude exports from South Sudan, which relies heavily on oil revenues for its economy reports Business Day.

The tensions between the two over oil has been brewing for months. In May, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced that the pipeline would be closed unless the government in Juba stopped supporting rebels active in Sudan. Juba has continued to deny providing any support, Reuters reports.

Then earlier this month, Sudan said that it had delayed the shutdown until September 6 to allow an African Union team to finish its investigation.

“The Security Council urges the governments of Sudan and South Sudan to maintain dialogue to ensure continued transportation of oil from South Sudan, and the government of Sudan to suspend any actions to halt the transportation of oil from South Sudan,” the 15-nation council said in a statement.

A shutdown of the oil pipelines from the South could have serious economic and political implications for Africa’s youngest country, which became independent in 2011, reports Business Day.