Sudan & South Sudan

Chinese battalion deployed to protect South Sudan oil facilities

September 10, 2014 | Politics & Social Unrest, Sudan & South Sudan

Juba, South Sudan | –  China has begun deploying 700 soldiers to a U.N. peacekeeping force in South Sudan to protect oil fields and Chinese workers amid a rebellion in the African country, The Wall Street Journal reported. The newspaper quoted a spokesman for South Sudan’s president as saying on Tuesday that the airlift of a Chinese infantry battalion to the South Sudanese states of Unity and Upper Nile was expected to take several days. China is the biggest investor in South Sudan’s oil industry. …

UN cargo helicopter crashes in South Sudan warzone

August 31, 2014 | Politics & Social Unrest, Sudan & South Sudan

The UN mission said it had “dispatched a search and rescue team” to the area, near the northern oil town of Bentiu, one of the hardest fought over areas.  Khartoum, Sudan | – A UN cargo helicopter crashed on Tuesday in South Sudan’s warzone region of Unity state, the UN peacekeeping mission said, adding it was “deeply concerned about the fate of the crew”. The UN mission said it had “dispatched a search and rescue team” to the area, near the northern oil town of …

Exxon ends oil search with Total in South Sudan as war rages

August 14, 2014 | Company Operations, Sudan & South Sudan

London, United Kingdom | – Exxon Mobil Corporation, the U.S.’s largest company,  ended exploration plans with Total in South Sudan, Total and the government said, a sign of faltering investor confidence in the African nation as a civil war enters its eighth month. Exxon Mobil in April didn’t renew an agreement with Total to negotiate for joint-exploration over parts of a 120,000 sq km (46,300 sq mile) concession in Jonglei state, Total spokeswoman Anastasia Zhivulina said in an Aug. 12 e-mailed response to questions. Total is still bidding to …

Sudan to receive US$183 million from South Sudan’s oil firms

July 23, 2014 | Pipelines, Sudan & South Sudan

Khartoum, Sudan | — The Sudanese government and oil companies operating in South Sudanese oilfields have reached on Saturday an agreement whereby Khartoum will receive $183 million within two weeks from the oil companies in exchange for carrying oil through Sudanese territory. On 28 June, Sudan’s government and companies operating in transportation of crude oil from South Sudan’s oilfields (blocks number 3 and 7) signed a framework agreement which allows Sudan to receive $366 million annually. The oil companies agreed to pay $4 as transit …

East, West tussle for oil ‘sparked South Sudan war’ says minister

May 16, 2014 | Politics & Social Unrest, Sudan & South Sudan

Nairobi, Kenya | –  The fierce struggle between the Western and Eastern countries over control of oil fields in Southern Sudan is behind the ongoing conflicts in the country, South Sudan’s minister for information and broadcasting Michael Makuei has said. Speaking in Nairobi yesterday, the minister who also doubles as the spokesperson for Government of Southern Sudan, said some Western countries are trying to push out President Salva Kiir’s government so as to install “a friendly” regime. “When oil was discovered in Southern Sudan, one …

South Sudan sacks army chief, top generals after rebels seize oil hub

April 24, 2014 | Politics & Social Unrest, Sudan & South Sudan

Juba, South Sudan | – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir sacked his army chief on Wednesday after rebels seized a major oil hub, unleashing two days of ethnic slaughter in which the UN says hundreds of civilians were massacred. Rebels loyal to sacked vice president Riek Machar seized the oil hub of Bentiu last week. The United Nations says they hunted down civilians sheltering in mosques, churches and a hospital, in a wave of ethnic killings. The president gave no reason for removing general James …

South Sudan evacuating foreign workers from oil-rich state

February 21, 2014 | Politics & Social Unrest, Sudan & South Sudan

Juba, South Sudan – South Sudanese government  is trying to evacuate foreign oil workers from its Upper Nile region after fighting erupted between the army and rebel fighters in the state capital three days ago, a government official said. The state government told companies to shut down production at the Gumri and Adar oil fields “because of security precautions,” Upper Nile Mining and Petroleum Minister Francis Ayul said in a phone interview today. “Some of the foreign engineers have been given priority to go back” …